Iruka's Child
by Sonic Rose
Summary: Bonds are important to Naruto. To be alone, to have nobody to watch your back... But maybe he isn't alone... Maybe he never was.
1. Kitsune

**Author Notes:** Welcome to my first ever Naruto fanfiction. There's a lot of "Hate Sakura" and "Hate Sasuke" out there... there's super strong Narutos and more. This story however, will focus more on the relationships and reactions to Naruto. From the title, you can tell who will be the primary bond I focus on. How this will alter Naru from his canonical upbringing? I don't know yet. If you wanna nitpick details, please don't. I fall in and out of Japanese at times, but I try to make them interchable enough that context should make clear any Nihongo I use. (See, I bet you understood that Nihongo meant Japanese language without me telling you!) I've been an Anime fan long enough that it sounds weird to me to say Naruto Uzumaki rather than Uzumaki Naruto. Somehow, that makes him sound more important. I also like -chan, -kun, honorifics too. If you have any confusion on this, let me know. Well, that's about it... above all.. Enjoy!

----------------------

Konoha, Hidden Village of the Leaf sat half in ruin after the attack of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox. The Yondaime, the Fourth Hokage, leader of the village had given his life defending the people he loved. A terrible and powerful jutsu had to be employed to defeat the beast. Yet, defeat is not destruction, and the beast now slumbered in the vessel of a newborn boy... a new life in the midst of destruction.

Sarutobi, the third Hokage, sat behind the desk at Kage tower pensively with his fingers touching lightly. A few smoke rings peacefully circled his head from his pipe. He was still wearing battle gear after the fight, and had a lovely view of what was left of the village through a partially destroyed window.

He held still and quiet in thought, only stirring while the occasional ANBU or jounin troubled him for news from the village. The elderly man nodded from time to time and numbly issued orders, finding himself the reinstated Kage as per the will of the Fourth. It would certainly take some time for things to get sorted out, even the death count hadn't been finalized yet. As the wrinkled old man loosed his head gear and tossed it aside, a small crying noise came from nearby.

His gaze shifted to a basket with a small bundle in it, "Hnn... Naruto... Awake eh? I suppose you've been so quiet, I didn't even think about you there. Sad to say, but I'm afraid it's true," Sarutobi said in an even tone, beveled with age. He stood and moved to the bundle, squatting down before the blond form who continued crying. "....And just what will we do with you, little hero?" the old man asked aloud, picking up the child.

Naruto was a hero, but it was not time that all should know it just yet. He looked worriedly on the seal placed on the child's stomach. It would fade soon, but the chakra of the Kyuubi still blazed on it and he wondered if the boy's tears might be connected. His first order of duty ws cleaning up the village however, and the details of the Kyuubi's defeat would be known only to the ANBU to begin with.

----------------

In a village of ninjas, word travels fast, especially when someone wants it to. The ANBU members, while going about their duties, used the following days to spread the news of the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice. There was also the unpleasant rumor that the Kyuubi was not destroyed, but imprisoned within a human body. Some thought the kage had done this to himself and died to kill the fox demon, but some of its chakra still hung around, as did the human host. Already, some were thinking or wondering who it was and how to end them. Sandaime Hokage would have to put an end to those rumors soon.

Sarutobi would have to do something soon before the boy became a victim of bad press. It was bad enough that Namikaze Minato had kept his love affair with Uzumaki Kushina a secret, fearing she would be targeted by his enemies... but she had died the night of Kyuubi's attack as well. It was a bitter end to a pair of great ninjas, not only that they should lost, but to also have left their son alone.

Minato had managed to leave a will, though his hand writing would have given pharmacists trouble. After deciphering the scribbled code, it was clear he wanted the jinchuuriki to be treated as normally as possible. Being the Hokage's son would make that impossible, so he was to be known by his mother's clan name, Uzumaki. That would certainly diffuse some troubles, though there was still the fact the demon slept within the boy... that was a much touchier matter. Minato's will as far as that went, was to have the boy credited with the monster's demise. He wanted him to be seen as a hero, since he was now the jailor of the nine tailed demon. Yet, he was still a newborn child, and people would wonder if he was in control of the demon or the other way around. The old man would have to tell the people _something._ There was nothing for it he supposed, he would have to do as Minato had requested.

While the boy's future was being decided, he still needed to be cared for. There were plenty of women who had lost children between the Ninja wars and the Kyuubi attack, but the marking on his belly was still fresh and raw. Sarutobi feared, and rightly so, that if he wasn't taken for the fox demon himself, he would be seen as a painful reminder of the loss said women had already suffered. Even if he got foster care, the number of eligible caretakers who wouldn't be biased in one way or another was slim to none. The third sighed heavily as he considered things. For the time being however, he was looked after, if held at arms length by his caretakers.

-----------------

Hokage tower was surrounded by the people of the Leaf Village. Every ninja that was not on assignment, as well as its civilian populace gathered around for the Hokage's address to the people. At this point, the Fire Lord and Council had been fully detailed on the situation, reconstruction was underway, and the details were now hashed out. It was just left to the Fire Shadow to announce what that meant to the people. No pressure, eh?

Sarutobi Hiruzen had been graced with wisdom as well as age. It allowed his eyes to look on the people with compassion and made him more or less, an excellent judge of character. He was not without faults though, and despite his rock solid exterior while he held his hand up to silence the crowd, a number of conflicting emotions reigned within him. As an aging member of the Konohagakure society, he felt he should be melting into the shadows rather than filling in the light once again, but he had no choice. He cleared his throat.

"Honored Citizens and Shinobi of Konohagakure, I, Hiruzen Sarutobi must now address you concerning the recent assault of the Kyuubi no Kitsune," he began formally, giving a dramatic pause. "We have overcome all obstacles facing us and will continue to in the future." The crowd cheered at his uplifting words but he remained stone-faced and calmed them down again. "However, this peace, this freedom... comes at a grave price. Many brave shinobi have given their lives for you people and they must be remembered. We have already begun work on a memorial monument to the fallen, but there is more.

Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage was the one who _sealed_ the Nine tailed demon." He stressed the word to numerous mutterings and startled gasps. Sealed did not mean dead, and all of them knew this. "It is no stone or trinket that could ever hold such power, and the price for such a seal is no less than the _soul_ of our beloved Hokage." An eerie silence spread and the sky above began to swirl uncertainly with heavy-laden gray clouds. He forced himself to inhale deeply and continued, "Namikaze Minato has sealed the Kyuubi's soul into that of a human body. Rumors of this have already been flying around and they are true. However, no normal spirit can contain or control the Kyuubi either. Only a pure, _innocent_ soul can become a container for the demon without himself being corrupted. Therefore, the Hokage chose a newborn to bear this burden."

It seemed to Sarutobi, that the temperature had dropped a good ten degrees as he spat out the information as authoritatively and dryly as possible. His hope that the people would accept this was met with horrified murmuring and a few cries of disbelief. The trained eyes of experienced Shinobi fell on the reigning Hokage with practiced indifference for the most part, but he could see through that to the fear or pity hanging on some faces. The council's eyes were behind him and he felt them as knife-pricks set at his back. Yes, Minato had left him quite a mess.

"It was the third's wish that this boy be seen as a **hero!** For the sake of Minato, whom many of you have fought beside, I implore you all to heed his wishes. I **believe** in our beloved Hokage, and his vision that this boy would truly be a savior to our people! The Nine-Tails is no longer a threat, and we enjoy this peace at a grave price, but one not given in vain."

As silence began to prevail, one ninja asked the question all now wondered, just _who_ was the boy? Who was the demon container? Sarutobi had the answer, though he about bit his tongue to say it. "The boy is an orphan, as many have been lost. He is Uzumaki Naruto, the son of Kushina and her lover." Only a handful of ninjas knew of Minato's relation to the woman. She was well liked by the people, but unfortunately she and many of Minato's family and friends were now dead. There were truly none who could vouch for, or properly raise the child, and that was the most troubling news of all. It only remained to be seen, how the crowd would react. "In one's death, another lives, and so it must be for now. Let us celebrate the victory we have, and honor the heroes and those who have passed! For Konoha, for Minato, and for our future, which has been secured by this boy, Uzumaki Naruto!"

And with that, the crowd cheered. He could only hope it would last. Fifty some years of experience told him not. Instead though, he enjoyed the sigh of relief as tension ebbed from the darkened village and sun rays fled through the gloomy sky. His wise eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a steadfast heart in the shifting crowd. The beaten hearts of war had scarred Konoha, but in the youth, he saw hope. In the tearstained eyes of a young genin.. he saw happiness.


	2. Dolphin

There was no doubt in Sarutobi's mind that things were getting colder. This was not simply a statement about the weather, while he muttered about age being responsible for the cold seeping into his bones. He brought a lighter up to his pipe and the corners of his mouth upturned a bit as the small blaze smoldered into a warm tobacco-laden balm for his fingertips which supported said pipe. He knew he shouldn't be smoking, but it was too late for him to try setting a good example for his son Asuma, and right now he felt like he needed some measure of release from the day to day strains. Yes, it was getting colder in Konoha, and it was not simply the time of year.

His eyes gazed sadly along the visage of Konohagakure and toward the Kage monument. It had only been about a month since the kyuubi's attack, but already its craftsmen had cleaned things up and there was something entirely too final about the handsome young face being on it next to Hiruzen. He sighed a bit and tapped the side of his pipe lightly, making sure the charred vegetation seated itself properly in the smoking apparatus. Outwardly, he should be pleased at the progress, but within he was very troubled.

"Sarutobi-sama?" a young ninja's voice called and snapped the old man to his senses.

"Ahh...." He paused and then looked down at the adolescent youth before him. If it hadn't been for the forehead protector, he would have sworn the kid was just some rowdy street brawler. His eyes screwed together in focus, trying to remember amid the jumble of recent events who had recently graduated from the Academy or not. Not that he'd been uninformed as a retired hokage, but he was still having to learn things over again. '_Minato, you're so much trouble.'_ The boy before him had a messy mop of brown hair, slack posture and a horizontal scar across his nose, which was still quite red as well as a few bruises and a generally shabby look. He was also tapping his foot somewhat impatiently. The Kage was embarrassed... he really didn't remember his name. "Ano... uh... Forgive me, but... your name, if you please?"

"Iruka, sir." He responded instantly, then after some hesitation he added, "Umino Iruka."

This, the ojii-san understood. '_Umino... Umino...'_ His expression darkened, '_Ahh...'_ "Yes... Umino... son of Umino Mamoru and Umino Kameyo, correct?" Iruka nodded at this and looked particularly somber. Hiruzen knit his brows together in concern, their names were undoubtedly on the memorial for the fallen. "They were good people child. Now tell me, what brings you to my office young one?"

Iruka kept his eyes toward the ground as long as he dared before taking in a breath and lifting his head to the Hokage. It was not looking into the eyes of anyone else who had offered him false compassion, for here he saw a man with a depth to his sorrow. If he were a tree, he would have spread his roots all over the village to draw out its sadness and solidify its people, he understood why he was the Hokage in the first place and smiled briefly. "I'm sorry Hokage-sama... it's nothing to trouble you with. I... I'll just go."

Sarutobi held up a hand, "You did not come all this way to see me only to be sent away." He raised a brow meaningfully at the boy, but briefly got distracted by a brown liver spot on the back of his hand that he hadn't noticed before. '_Damn, I'm getting old'._ He sat, and motioned for Iruka to do the same across from him. He took a long draw on his pipe then sat with his fingertips touching, attempting to look as sagely as possible. "Now, tell me what troubles you."

As expected, the kid looked left then right, as if they would be overheard before turning to his leader. Truthfully, he did have ANBU around the place, and it was a _ninja_ village, anyone could be listening. It was perhaps a childish gesture, but one that reminded Sarutobi that not all of his ninja were grown as a forehead protector might indicate. He wished for a moment he had his youth and wits aligned together and motioned for him to carry on.

"Hokage-sama... I.. I recently graduated to the rank of Genin, sir, Hokage-Sama, sir." His hands tightened into fists on his knees and he strained with his thoughts appearing so that the kage, if he were so inclined, might have suggested he go use the bathroom first, or get a laxative if he was going to strain like that.

"Congratulations," was his only reply however. The boy wasn't here for a joke, and the man respected him with all due seriousness.

"The thing is... I..." He paused and scratched the back of his neck, "I was beaten up by a couple chuunins today at the memorial monument..."

"Hnn... That certainly is a concern... for what reason did this fight break out?" Sarutobi asked gently.

Iruka's eyes welled with tears which he desperately fought against. "I ... I couldn't stop crying."

Sarutobi stood and walked around the desk. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder gently, "Umino Iruka... there is no shame in tears, particularly those of mourning for loved ones. There is a time and place for them, however." He paused until Iruka's tears were restrained, "Shed as many as you need for your grief, you have that right. You are also not alone in your grief. We all express it differently. An unfortunate number turn their grief into anger, which is far more trouble than any tears. It will be hard for you without parents to guide and teach you, but I have faith that you will find what you need when you are in need."

"...When is it not the time sensei?" Iruka asked after some quiet had passed between them.

Sarutobi smiled inwardly at his question, he had hoped he would ask. He kept a stern but fatherly look about him. "You are a ninja, a shinobi, and one day perhaps a great warrior. I do not pretend to know the future, but I know that you, as a ninja of the leaf, will have others who count on you. When you have someone who regards you, you must guard your tears for their sake. Have you considered your name Iruka? It means 'dolphin'. For what they are, they are known to defend those who cannot defend themselves. We need honest ninja who can stand by and support others, now more than ever."

"...After the Kyuubi attack you mean..? Sir?"

"Hnn... In a way." He glanced toward the window and the village, "The strength of the village is the people, and the heart of Konoha lies with them. If the shinobi who protect it are strong at heart, then it will embolden the people. The confident heart can shrug off the unknown and face it with courage." He kept a hand on Iruka's shoulder and led him to the door.

"Kage-sama?"

"Yes child?"

"Thank you."

A few stray rings of smoke circled the hokage's head. If it wasn't his imagination, it seemed a tad bit warmer in here now.

-------------------

The ninja of the village made money from the jobs they did, and most orphaned chuunin had used their share to buy some of the rebuilt apartments, but the younger genin were not eligible for missions that gave them more than food and clothing. In response, Sarutobi had raised incentives for some of the team leaders to directly or indirectly support their teams but it hadn't worked as well as he'd hoped, many preferring their students at arms length. Some even thought it would make them better ninja. Sarutobi had reason to worry about the children. A normal orphanage would have to worry about fist fights, a ninja orphanage could have a body count. It was a less than ideal situation.

Though the village had more or less been reconstructed, the Konoha orphanage was overflowing in numbers. The matrons were given extra financing by the authorization of the hokage, but extra help there wasn't. After the attack, much had been lost and it would be some time before the orphanage could go back to a more or less 'normal' routine. Babies and toddlers were always easy to relocate, but try adopting out a potentially mentally unstable, homicidal maniac who's proficient at throwing kunai and people are surprisingly unwilling to risk letting them into their homes. For this reason, the ninjas unable to find a home for one reason or another, were drafted into helping care for the others.

It was late night at Konoha O (as it was lovingly refered to) when several genin decided to make a break for the kitchen. As expected, Iruka was among them, whispering how they shouldn't be doing this, and should go back to bed now. He knew quite well that not all the workers here were civilians. Nana-Sasoru was a retired ninja for example, and he noted that at least two of the 'volunteers' that recently started coming around to help were in fact jounin. So far, it all seemed too easy. Iruka still had memories of the genjutsu placed on the fridge from his last late-night go, which ended up with him in a headlock... not that he would admit it. Who wanted to be beaten up by Nana-Sasoru? Besides, it was easier to say that the chuunin who liked bugging him had caused the bruises.

A small crying sound began down the hall, and all three genin froze and decided to practice their stealth jutsus immediately. Something about the cry made Iruka stiffen worse than the others and he almost didn't camouflage himself fast enough before an irate caretaker sped past them. Sighs of relief shot up from the genin as they dropped their guises, but Iruka looked troubled.

"Hey, you're not gonna rat on us are you?" A plain blond girl complained in a hushed whisper.

"N-no.." Iruka shook his head, his hair was almost long as hers and pulled into a messy ponytail in the back that flared out with a mind of its own.

"Come on." a redhead added, motioning down the hall toward their goal.

Somehow, the crying seemed louder to Iruka, and he suddenly lost his appetite. "No."

"What?!" Both said in a hushed but urgent whisper.

"Whatever... just don't get caught." The girl sighed and slipped toward the kitchen.

In the absence of his companions, Iruka was free to think. His eyes were starting to water, like when he was at the monument. The tears were those of loss, of longing. He turned on his heel and headed for the source of the crying. He couldn't let another person feel the way he did.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, demon _brat,"_Iruka recognized the prematurely gray caretaker as Kiyoko, who he'd considered snobbish and rude. She was the niece of the head matron, Nana-Sasoru. He grimaced, but also felt infuriated somehow that she'd talk to a child like that, especially this one since it was a baby. The way she was holding the bundle made Iruka frown as well, it was a tight tense grip and he could tell there was a tonal difference in the child's cries now, possibly pain. "I _should_ just tie you in a bag and dump you in the river, you know?" The crying worsened and Iruka stood shocked that she'd suggest something so... spiteful and cruel! Wasn't her job to protect babies like him? "Little demon, boy, cry all you like. You got no parents and nobody's here to protect you, so _shut the hell up!_" she hissed. Kiyoko began pacing, her walk anything but relaxing as she visibly rattled the boy.

Iruka had seen enough and stepped out, "Kiyoko-dono?" His eyes set on her like two sharp stones.

"What? Can't you see I'm busy?" she replied in a barely controlled tone, but she relented her harsh grip on the boy who just sounded miserable now for even living.

"...Hai... Kiyoko-dono but... Umm... I think... that is."

"What? You don't think I can take care of this _gakiI?" _she scowled.

"...You don't seem to like him so I think you... you're being hard on him."

Kiyoko thought on that a minute then laughed. Didn't like him? That was understatement of the year. She laughed cruelly, "No shit. Hmph. Do you even know what this is?" Iruka frowned as she held the bundle precariously in one hand, the boy in it had not stopped crying, but he could now see messy yellow hair. "_This _is the nine-tailed demon fox."

Iruka's frown worsened, "No... Sarutobi said.."

"I don't care what that old geezer said." she cut in and snorted, "If the Sarutobi would only let the council do their job, we'd never have to worry about the demon again. The Hokage says a lot of things." She shrugged, but to Iruka's relief, she set him on a changing table. "He'll get out, you know? I can tell... Bloody mark's still on his stomach, bright as ever. _Nobody's_ going to take this bastard-child and that's the truth. Can't adopt him out, can't give him to the damned ninja council... what the hell good is he? Just a damned obnoxious freak. Bastard's gonna' get us killed... _fuc--"_

"Shut up!" Iruka commanded, tears in the young genin's eyes. He heard enough, he heard too much. He shook with rage to think that _anyone_ could think that this... this **bitch** was supposed to take care of Konoha's hero?! The Hokages, the third and fourth, would have thought about it, all of it! He was sure they would.

Kiyoko looked to the sobbing bundle then smiled a slow cruel smile, "You take him."

"What?"

"If you think so highly of him... _you_ take him. But if he cries one bit..." she laughed a little, "I don't know. I'll think of something. Hmph. Gaki..." she hissed the word and let it roll around her tongue. There may not have been an S in brat or gaki, but she managed to hiss it out all the same.

"Fine." Iruka said in a tone of ice and the caregiver left the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving Naruto to cry out once more. The genin walked over to the table where Naruto had been abandoned. "Oi. Stop crying. Baka-chan's gone, ok?" He attempted a smile until he caught Naruto's helpless eyes. The brilliant blue just screamed at him with purity, and reminded him immensely of their lost Hokage. "M-minato-sama?" He shook his head, but the boy had stopped crying. "Phew... now I can put you to.. crap." He could now smell the reason Naruto was making a fuss.

----------------------------------

It was almost midnight and Sarutobi had gone home many hours ago, but that hadn't stopped him from having two late night visitors. Somehow, he was less than pleased to see them as he knocked the contents of his pipe out, snuffing the ember and heading inside not quite fast enough.

"Sarutobi-san." A female voice called in mock warmth.

"Ahh... Koharu... Homura. I was just heading inside." He said genially. He held his expression amazingly neutral. '_This is going o be a long night... I think I'll need an extra smoke...'_ "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Nothing terribly important, I think." The one called Homura replied airily.

Despite the three of them having once been a team, politics had pushed them in vastly different directions. It seemed to the old man, that they were now after their own interests and parties to clan interests, rather than the people. Sad really. "Come in." Hiruzen said, motioning them in.

Asuma was sitting on the couch, making no attempt to hide the cigarette in his mouth. He and blew a few smoke rings in the air. Koharu's nose wrinkled in disapproval. Sarutobi Asuma smiled.

"Upstairs please." The elder ninja requested cordially. With a defiant look from Asuma, he left the room. _'Thank heavens.'_ He took a seat and motioned for the others. "I would appreciate if you would get right to business old _friends._" He gave a knowing smile. He could tell when they wanted something.

"It's about the boy." Homura started.

"Yes.. I'm afraid, Sarutobi-san, that the people are having a rather negative reaction to him." Koharu slipped in.

A sigh escaped the hokage. He knew this would become an issue. "It's because of the seal, I'm sure."

"Indeed. The ninja council is worried that it will be broken." Mitokado Homura said darkly.

"There is also the matter of the Uchihas..." Utatane Koharu's sweet voice added. "They've been wanting power for a while, and with their genjutsu abilities, I'd be afraid about the _welfare of the child_."

"I'm sure you are." Hiruzen grabbed for a box of tobacco he had on hand and refilled his pipe. "But the boy is a ward of the village. He is a member of this village and as soon as he is fit enough he will be given opportunity to persue his own path."

"Hiruzen..." His friend Homura twitched a little, "A boy with the kind of power locked inside him is not going to be a simple baker or flower peddler..."

"I don't see why not."

"...And what if he _did_ want to be a ninja? Imagine the risks, that's what we're saying here." he finished, adjusting his green framed glasses.

"I would think any well-adjusted-" Sarutobi began but Koharu cut in, earrings dangling.

"Anyone can defect, Hiruzen. I would hope your judgement isn't clouded just because the Fourth said it was okay. This child may be a ward of the village, but he is not in anything resembling a stable home, which is essential for mental well-being. Already off to a bad start I say."

The hokage shifted uncomfortably inside. He had no choice but to remain optomistic until he saw reason not to. Homura and Koharu were challenging his optomism. His smile strained. "Your concerns are well noted. Still, it is not fair to write off the boy until he has proved himself. Everyone deserves a chance to sink or swim."

The two council members exchanged looks and stood in tandem, "Well said," Koharu conceded, "We will be watching young Naruto, you can count on that. Perhaps you should consider making him the ward of a _trusted_ clan member to mold his impressionable mind... Something to think about _old friend_."

After Koharu had left, Mitokado turned to his old friend with a more compassionate look, "I know you wished to pass the mantle of Hokage on, but while Naruto lives in our village, you had best keep it. As a favor to you, I'm letting you know... The council is not pleased. The longer you wait to decide on what is to be done about Uzumaki Kushina's child, the more they say he _is_ the demon rather than its cage. For the sake of the village, you may have to decide between the two."

As if he didn't know that? All the same, Sarutobi nodded gravely. "Thank you... Homura."

"That went well." Asuma drawled, standing at the top stair when the two had left.

"You should be more subtle, son. I could tell you were there the whole time." Sarutobi sighed.

"Hnnnf. So what are you going to do, Otousan?"

The old man stroked his beard lightly and thought about it. "I think I'll have another smoke."


	3. Monkey

A burning ember starkly fell into a waiting ashtray from a long skinny pipe. Elderly fingers ritualistically wiped away specks of ash and the hand that held the pipe gave it a second knock against the tray for good measure. The kiseru was a fine but simple piece of bamboo, highly polished, its tip and bowl also finely crafted metal. It was a very nice gift Asuma had given him, another reason he never felt inclined to tell his child not to smoke. The exaggerated tone of someone clearing his throat alerted the old man that he was not alone in the world and the pipe might have to wait. In any event, he took a pouch from his robes and refilled the kiseru with tobacco and placed the thin metal edge to his cracked lips.

"Sarutobi," a village elder coughed, "while we don't mind you admiring your pipe, it would be nice if we could get this meeting under way."

"Of course," Hiruzen smiled quickly in the direction of the nondescript old man who'd addressed him. He did have a glaringly large liver spot on his temple though, and the hokage made a mental note of it. "I just find it easier to think with a full pipe. Evening tea has already been spent. I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering what is so important as to deprive us gentlemen of well-earned rest."

"Indeed, though we are not all men, and we shall begin when our _Hokage_ is ready." Koharu stated sternly as a schoolmarm.

'_We are not wondering everything you old bat. I've a pretty good idea just what you're up to.'_ Sarutobi thought inwardly while he projected his most reserved gaze. "Would anybody care for a light?" he inquired lightly and with one hand, made a few seals, a flame flickering above his thumb on the last seal. It was unnecessary, he knew, though it always entertained the children. "No? Pity." Of course, he used the fire to light his pipe, but held up a hopeful hand to any takers. Uchiha Kenta then accepted, though the Hokage worried as he lit the cigarette for him as contrary to his name, he was in ill health. "Well then... Homura, if you please?"

Mitokado Homura nodded and stood up within the council chamber. It was packed with both the ninja and civilian faction of the council as well as representatives from almost all of the clans. While this would ideally be the clan heads, most of the _important_ clans had sent thick-headed old men or know-nothing prodigies who thought themselves better than everyone else because they could flip ten times in the air before landing instead of two... whoop-dee-fu-- whoop-dee-doo. Sarutobi had noted that the lesser clan heads had _all_ been in attendance, though not all of them had taken the time to improve their appearances. He smiled a bit at one of the more creative representatives, who had created a genjutsu that made him appear neat and tidy and alert, while he was really slumped in his seat with a bubble of snot gurgling noiselessly from his nose. He could _tell_ they were _all looking forward to this_.

"The council has convened tonight to decide on the matter concerning the Kyuubi-no-Kitsune's host body." Homura's voice resonated.

"A matter already settled the night of the attack." Sarutobi sounded quickly. A murmuring set up in the crowd, he had braced himself for this. "It was the wish of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, to have the boy seen as a hero. He is to be called Uzumaki Naruto, son of Uzumaki Kushina. He is to be given all opportunities afforded any other villager whom we protect as he has protected us from the demon. I can see no reason these conditions should not be met aside fear, which should not rule any man be they shinobi or otherwise."

"Despite the Yondaime's best intentions, I'm afraid a name like Uzumaki holds little sway with the people," A prune of a woman from the civilian council retorted tartly. "What proof do we have that he really isn't going to break the seal and kill us all?"

Another voice echoed the sentiment, "Yes, it's better that we deal with this while we can!"

More voices were calling for blood. There had been enough shed in the war, there had been enough in the attack. They didn't need any more... it was for the children, for the future, for _their selfish future._ The Hokage almost snapped his pipe in two while he avoided a visual outburst. They were arguing, they were shouting, _they _were now acting like the demon they so feared.

"**Silence!**" The Sandaime Hokage shouted as he stood, looking upon the gathered. His eyes bore no malice, though a scowl etched his face and his eyes were set as black diamonds piercing the hearts of those who watched him. "Do you not think that these things were all considered in advance? Do you not have any faith in Minato? Minato, the Yellow Flash? Minato the Hokage? Minato? Sensei of the sannin? Minato who **sacrificed his life** to save **us all** from the Kyuubi-no-kisune?" His voice rose in strength with each accentuated query. The mob started to shrink as their brains were hammered with thought patterns resembling human once more. "You must all be very **proud** of yourselves, thinking to harm or kill a child. _**A child! **_And not just _any_ child... no..." Sarutobi almost growled, but let the sentence died. All eyes were on him, and he remembered quite regretfully that Minato had kept his relationship a secret. "A child who should be a celebrated **hero.**"

"Perhaps you should tell them?" Koharu suggested quietly in his ear. "As one already said... Uzumaki is not a respected name... while Namikaze..."

A frown sank into the Hokage's face as he seated himself once more. Minato had wanted it private. '_I have too many enemies'_ he had said. _'I do not want him to be favored because of me or targeted likewise. It is best for the both that I do not exist. I wish it were otherwise, but while I am Hokage, my life is too public. So I will be two men. I will be the leader as is your wish, Sarutobi-sama. I will talk to the councils and the military, will sign papers and delegate responsibilities. I will continue to train so that I keep my people safe. But I will also be Namikaze Minato, the one who fights to protect his heart. Kushina is my heart. We Shinobi need to protect each other, to remember why we fight, because if it is not for others, then it is for the sake of violence alone. Without a heart, a human element, what are we but tools of war? I... We will be more._

Sandaime thought reflectively on Minato's words and actions. Of course, he had been one of the few people who knew that a Shadow clone was in the Hokage tower as often as not, posing as Minato. Perhaps he and Kushina had been alone in that knowledge when a disguised Minato bought daisies from the Yamanaka flower shop and given them to a red headed beauty who sneezed at them because she was allergic. Who knew when wind chakra cut the clouds just so a heart appeared in them on Kushina's birthday. Who knew when Minato was seen in Sunagakure eating curry ramen with Kushina when the two of them were supposed to be in Konohagakure and were back before dinner. He knew. Sometimes it was because he saw through the layers, and sometimes it was because Minato wanted it to be seen. Maybe that was why he had been reluctant to become Hokage in the first place, but it made him a good man... probably a better one than he was at the moment.

"No. I will honor Minato's wishes even when no others will follow me." the third replied to Koharu finally.

While he had been in his thoughts, the others had been discussing Naruto. Most of them agreed, he was an unknown factor, others argued that they should trust Minato. It was a turbulent stance that drifted from one extreme to another, but always there was the unknown. Fear had ruled much in recent history, and the old man grew weary of it.

"Danzou?" He called finally, the ANBU leader appearing immediately, though he'd been in earshot the whole time. This was troubling as it was comforting to the old man.

"Yes, Hokage-Sama?" He asked from a most respectful kneeling position before him.

"What is your take on the boy? Do you believe that Naruto possesses a threat? Be honest and detailed if you will."

While normally unshakable, this was obviously a sensitive topic. He was a man who wished to crush every opposition to the village and yet... "For now, he is just a child, no different from any other in terms of power or potential. However, as he grows older, he could be a problem. _If_ he can use the Kyuubi's chakara, there is no telling what he is capable of, let alone the potential for the beast taking control of his host."

"And what do you propose?" Sarutobi continued calmly. He had put very succinctly, the reasons the villagers feared him, the very arguments that had already been leveled at him, but at least he had confirmed the boy was no threat... for now.

Danzo's expression wilted ever so slightly. If he could get the boy in _Root,_ then he would have no loyalty questions or issues. Konoha would undoubtedly possess the world's greatest weapon, a fully controlled Jinchuriiki. _If_. He knew that was a tall order with Sarutobi in control, as much as the idea of the boy growing up in a normal way or environment. He carefully selected his words, "Hokage-sama... It... is a difficult thing to say. While the boy's passing would most likely insure the Kyuubi would no longer be a threat, it could also potentially release the beast and we would be no better off. I do feel that the boy's upbringing should be carefully monitored however that happens... I know it is not my place, but I would like him placed with an ANBU guardian for his upbringing. They are your loyal servants and will see to it he is raised with the interests of the village firmly ingrained on his mind. I already know several families who would facilitate such _positive_ growth." '_Though not in the way you would like, I am sure, not that it will matter when __**I**__ am the one sitting in Hokage Tower.'_

"Thank you for your input and generous offer, Danzo." A few puffs of smoke were blown in his face, looking like an accident. Sarutobi was no fool. He stroked his beard thoughtfully before continuing. "I see that the issue now is clearly not one of the threat generated by the boy, but the potential of another incident. It is true that, as of now, Naruto does not have a proper home. I will be looking into his well-fare more actively from now on. I will be accepting submissions for any couples willing to adopt our young hero and review them thoroughly. Keep in mind that Namikaze Minato did not want him to be given any more favor but the respect he deserves for what he is and has done for us all. I propose that Naruto's situation be evaluated periodically and any more talk of him as a threat will be done so at such a time as he gives reasonable suspition of being so. All in favor?"

One thing to be said for the Hokage, he moved the people. Most of them lent their voices in support of the idea. Those who were neutral or opposed were miffed at how swiftly the tables had turned. Sarutobi brought a quick end to the meeting, proposing that everyone would also feel better if they could catch a few more hours of sleep, and many returned to their clans and apartments as swiftly as they could. Danzo stood where he was however, thinking about this turn of events. Root. If he couldn't have the boy placed where he wanted in the way of family, maybe he could shift the influence in his favor to get him into Root as soon as possible.

-----------------------------------

A girl with blank hazel eyes sat on a log used for training in the middle of a field. She was acutely aware she was not alone, but the one she wanted was not there. Her frazzled stumpy ponytail spiked out and blew some in the late-afternoon breeze. All shadows cast seemed to be double their normal length and Mitarashi Anko seemed to be noticing them more and more lately.

"Shouldn't you be heading back?" a boy called to her from a few yards away.

"No point is there? It's just an orphanage." The girl replied disheartened.

"It's not so bad." the silver-haired boy replied with a misplaced smile.

"Easy enough for you to say Hoshino Mizuki." She stood and flexed very well, maintaining her balance on the log. She seemed to glare a bit at the horizon.

"You don't have to be mad." Mizuki replied.

"I'm NOT!" She snapped back at him, glaring.

"Is it abandonment issues?" he asked calmly while Anko's hair seemed to bristle further. _'Ahh.'_ "We're shinobi now you know? We're supposed to expect losses like that Anko-chan."

"What do you know? You still have parents..." she hissed.

"It's not like they care really..." Mizuki made a show of a concerned and slightly remorseful look. "Besides, when Orochimaru-sama gets back, I bet he'll take care of us."

Anko seemed to brighten at the prospect, after all, he was their sensei. They'd received word that he'd be returning from a long distance mission soon and he'd been intrigued by the Hokage's plan to have teachers try to help their students. No case seemed so hopeless as team Orochimaru anyhow. It was silly, but she had something of a crush on the pale skinned shinobi and was almost hypnotized by his golden eyes and silky voice. Anko-chan was a brat, and she roughed things up like all the boys, but where it came to her sensei, she turned to jello inside like any stricken little fangirl would.

"You really think so?"

"Hai." Mizuki smiled, "It'll work out, you'll see. Besides, nobody's going to let you starve Anko-chan."

"Mizuki-kun?"

"Yes Anko-chan?"

Her fist collided with the top of his skull in an imperceptible motion and the boy was face down in the dirt. Over him stood an insanely grinning Anko with a slightly fanged expression "Don't call me -chan again baka!"

"Y-yes....!" Mizuki gripped the back of his head and groaned. _'Well, she seems back to normal. Now to check on Iruka...'_

----------------

The reports Sarutobi had heard so far concerning Naruto's "upbringing" were less than stellar. Sasoru's niece Kiyoko now had a restraining order against her touching the child on a tip from young Iruka. One of Fugaku's men had confirmed the... domestic disturbance. Tsunade had to make a call on the orphanage now and then to evaluate the physical condition of the children, but she's also apparently had to mend a few bones for Naruto, Iruka having explained that Kiyoko _'didn't like his crying all the time_' and had '_punished him'_... That certainly explained the crying, which Kiyoko had somehow coerced Iruka from speaking against until the Leaf village's police force started a crackdown. It was disturbing enough that the boy would have been manhandled enough to break a bone, but this was several, and Tsunade said he should rightly be dead for the _number_ of injuries. Just the concussive blows should probably have been fatal... As well, the medical ninja had claimed that he was 'already healing' though Iruka had been very specific on the timetable of the injuries. He could only hope a different caretaker would work out in the meantime.

For the moment, the Hokage was sifting through adoption applications for Naruto. As expected, the Uchihas and Hyuuga clans had made a bid for the child. Fugaku was already neglecting his second son, Sasuke, so what right did he have to another? It was a bid for power, something the Uchihas were becoming famous for. Of course, Fugaku wasn't the current clan head, but he probably put him up to it. Hizashi had requested Naruto instead of Hiashi, which the man had to seriously consider for a moment. Hizashi was known to have a gentle nature over his brother, but he was a branch member, and the idea of Naruto possibly being set with the Caged Bird Seal... It seemed like everyone wanted Naruto, but for all the wrong reasons.

He sighed. Most of the applicants wanted to control him, of this he had no doubt. Even the apparently noble intentions of shinobi he trusted could be perverted by the will of their clan elders. Sometimes he wished the clan mentality could just be snuffed out... Little by little, the lesser clans and a few of the greater clans had started merging into the general populace of Konoha, but for the most part they kept to themselves. Clan interests, Sarutobi knew, could override Konoha's interests when put to the test.

But what were Konoha's interests? Certainly not the boy for himself, that much was becoming abundantly clear. If Naruto wanted to become a ninja, training in a good clan would make sense, and there would certainly be no lack of family. But that's if he _wanted_. He wasn't even old enough to do more than fling mashed peas back at his caretakers if he didn't like them. And everyone was assuming he _would_ want to be a ninja. What if he didn't? For a moment, he thought of the assassins that would try to take him out because of the demon whether he wanted it or not. There seemed to be no choice.

Naruto would have a hard life ahead of him, assuming he even lived to puberty. "Minato... why did it have to be this boy? I understand so well what you did... I understand why it had to be a newborn, why you used your child... why the secrets, and yet... for the life I am seeing ahead of him... I just don't understand how any sort of balance can be achieved. You haven't given me anything to work with." Sarutobi sighed and rubbed his now aching forehead. There was a knock at the door. "Come in."

"Feeling your age, hokage-sama?" The med-nin Tsunade inquired, entering with a stack of papers in her hand.

He smiled back at her slightly, "Yes yes, just a bit."

"Don't let the village know." she returned.

"Hnn.... Look at this Tsunade-san... Every clan has applied for ownership of Naruto. How am I supposed to make a decision on this? If I give him over to a prominent clan, then I will be giving the a power piece, but if I give him to a lesser clan, then how can I be assured of his protection? Tell me, is there some middle ground where people are not so concerned about power and care about another's well-being? I'm at a loss..."

Tsunade arched a brow, this was more information than she needed, but she laid the folder on the desk. "I don't know. Either way, you'd best make up your mind soon. This is the report on Naruto... I'm... sorry I couldn't be more help... I'm just glad he wasn't bleeding..." she shuddered.

The elderly man's expression sank, "History has a way of demonizing the heroes, you know? It's not just the enemies that do it." He flipped through the pages. "You win a war, and then they say there is no threat or never was. They forget all too soon that they sleep soundly because of another's sacrifice." he sighed, "I'm sorry to trouble you Tsunade-san... I just need someone to talk to that I can trust."

She gave a weak smile, "I know you'll do what's best... You always do," she said generically. She couldn't think of any comforts or snippets of wisdom that would truly help.

"You don't want a baby do you by any chance?" Sarutobi half-joked.

Tsunade's face turned crimson. "Hokage-sama!" In a way, she wanted to raise the kid herself, but she knew better. He wouldn't be worth a damn with her, she'd waste all the money meant for him on her gambling habit. Not to mention how weird it would be raising the hokage's child... Of course she'd known that, she'd been there at the birth... before Kushina...

"I thought not. Well, just keep me informed. I need all the eyes I can, and if you know of anybody-"

"Of course Sarutobi-sama." Tsunade bowed slightly and used _shunshin_ to get out of there as fast as ninjaly possible.

Sarutobi re-lit his pipe and leaned back in his chair. This was going to be a long night. '_I think I'll take up drinking coffee for a while... I have a feeling I'll need it.'_


	4. Snake

Something wasn't right, Orochimaru thought. It was... _interesting_, but not what he expected. The Snake sannin had expected... _a different turnout._ But then, you had to wonder what was so interesting, or what it was he was envisioning. He was a Konoha ninja, that was apparent from his hitai-ate which showed the Konoha's leaf symbol. Ahh but there was something not right about all of this because the Snake Sannin, deep down, was not of Konoha.

For a while now he'd been questing for power. It had taken many forms, many of them subtle as the snakes whom he had a summoning contract with. It had started as simple curiosity, to know if any ninja could possibly master all the ninjutsu in the world. That goal was one he realized could take a lifetime, or several lifetimes to achieve, so his quest for knowledge and power lead to studies on immortality. He knew at least one ninja who'd already defied age, but he wasn't the right bloodline for that. If he could perfect the technique to regenerate himself somehow, defy death, then anything was possible.

Orochimaru had studied well under master Sarutobi, but there were limits to what he could learn from him. He was, after all, just human. But what did that make the snake ninja? It made him something... _else_, something... a cut above the rest._._ The more he trained and the more techniques he acquired, the more he saw himself elevated above others. It pained him to see anyone wasting their time and talents, and no group vexed him more than the Uchihas... What he wouldn't give for _those eyes..._ That alone would speed up his goal exponentially if only they could be his.

But techniques were also made to be used, and to use them, something had to be... the subject. It was quite amazing, Orochimaru thought, how quickly people would submit to a flash of steel, the drop of a name, or the sparkle of a few coins. Money, influence, power. He had it all, so why not use it?

The money he made from missions was more than he needed for survival. Indeed, his apartment was so bareft of furniture or dust, one wondered immediately if anyone lived there. Boredom could be a motivating force in and of itself, and people with lots of wealth and few equals like the snake sannin enjoyed shining magnifying glasses on ants to see them burn. In his case, he used his assets to secure information and fund his... research projects.

He sat on the edge of a cliff, looking out over the sunset while clutching a scroll in his hand. It was partly crumpled because of the way he was holding it, and was contemplating its contents and implications. It was a message, sent to him by a scout from Konoha requesting he return as soon as his mission to the Land of Rice Fields was complete... there had been an attack.

Other ninja on missions at the time would have been surprised. Other ninja would have practically dropped what they were doing to shunshin home. _Other_ ninja would... but he'd expected it. He was partly responsible for it after all... It was all he could do to keep himself from grinning madly at the messenger while he decided if he was worth leaving alive. Konoha was still... useful to him... or could be.

"Omoishiroi..." the jounin said aloud to nobody in particular. "So this is the power of the Leaf? Ahhh.... to survive the nine tails..." He threw his head back, his thick black hair falling in strands along his neck as he laughed. His _experiment_ had been disrupted, tampered with because of the Fourth. The report had been rather basic, which was to be understood this far from Konoha, should it fall into enemy hands very little would be divulged. Yet it was sealed by Sarutobi. '_I don't know what you did yet, yellow bastard, but I'm sure you silenced my furry friend.'_ he thought in regards to the most certainly late Namikaze Minato. '_What a pity.'_

He'd rather hoped the village would be razed to the ground, with only the strongest ninja surviving. He'd decided that immortality was obtainable in a way similar to how snakes shed their skin. He would shed his consciousness into a new body, and he about had the idea and jutsu required all worked out. A fight with the kyuubi would certainly have narrowed down the options for a _donor body_, but things had not gone to plan.

It was fortunate that the snake was adaptable, as a number of thoughts whirled around Orochimaru's head. The Land of Rice Fields was without a ninja village, which was why he was sent North anyhow. It wasn't the first time, and this time was because of a boy around the age of 5-6 years who had been on a nearly uncontrollable rampage. It was caused by an enzyme he produced which drew out his inner chakra and caused him into a rage, it even manipulated his genetics, causing forcing him into a monstrous visage at the peak of his rage. It was very curious to see such fight in one so young, and that too could be manipulated to his will. Yes, the Land of Rice Fields would be a good operating base...

He still had ties in Konohagakure though, and wondered if he should go back and see what he could salvage there. Truthfully, he was not far from striking a gash along his hitai-ate in order to sever his bonds to the village. But they could still be useful. The only other _interesting_ part of the letter was Sarutobi's initiative to help mold and cultivate the young generation of orphans... two thirds of his genin team happened to be part of that statistic. He liked those odds.

---------------------

At the edge of the training grounds was the memorial stone. It was a circular base with a vaguely kunai-like shape to the top. Fitting that a weapon would belong to a monument of war. It wasn't necessarily war heroes who's names were engraved on the stone, but those killed in action. Namikaze Minato's name had been carved more elaborately into the stone, but it was the underlying Umino names that had a young ninja in tears.

Every time he looked at it, Umino Iruka relived the fateful day of the Kyuubi's attack. It didn't matter that ninja were supposed to be able to suppress their feelings, they were still human! The genin sobbed against his will as he thought about the things he saw that day.

Behind the darkness of his eyelids he saw the bodies on the ground and remembered how his hands trembled and he almost dropped his kunai. Genin were not to fight in the battle, that was an explicit order but... somebody needed to clean up the battlefield. Nothing sobers a person up or petrifies them more than carrying teammates and loved ones off the battlefield. Iruka had to do that. He'd had to carry his mother, Kameyo, to what he _thought_ was a safe place.

It was a terrible place to be and nothing was safe. The thundering paws of the beast made the ground tremble. His roar struck fear into the hearts of the most hardened ninja. His malice hung in the air with his red chakra, pulsating and irradiating the village with an almost unbearable feeling. It was like breathing in hatred, it was hot and heavy and seemed to drain the life out of you. He couldn't hear a thing between the beast and the orders of ninja around him who were somehow working on autopilot... but one pulled him back. One pulled him back as two of the tails whipped at a group of ANBU that had tried unsuccessfully to attack it from the side. This was at least a hundred yards away, yet it had made a chakra-laden slice of wind that nearly split his head in two.

He brought his fingertips to the bridge of his nose. He had a horizontal scar, and one he would carry for the rest of his life. The only med-nin available at the time for such a minor wound wasn't good at minimizing scar tissue. He would have gladly borne it too, but others saw it as a sign of his cowardice than a war wound.

_'How could they?'_ he thought, trembling. How could they be so inconsiderate? The fact that both his parents had died in the attack was another point of ridicule as they told him how weak they were. He didn't see it that way, and the tears flowed freely now.

"You have to stop Iruka." A familiar voice called beside him.

The young genin wiped away his tears as best he could and turned to Mizuki. "I can't... they..."

"Oi oi... Iruka." the other genin encouraged, smiling. "They don't matter. If you really want to teach them a lesson, learn how to fight better. That's where it counts right? In the field?"

"...It didn't work very well for my parents..." Iruka sniffed and rubbed his raw eyes.

Mizuki did wipe the smile off his face out of respect Mamoru and Kameyo. "They were good shinobi. Besides, in a fight like that, anyone would have had a hard time... We lost our Hokage too, you know?" He indicated the bold lettering of Minato's name.

Iruka gave a sad smile at that. There wasn't a ninja in the village who didn't know his name or heard stories of the things the Yellow flash had done. He was a great loss to the village, far more than his own parents who he'd been focussed on. "I guess..."

"Orochimaru-Sensei should be back soon, you know? Anko-_san_ said she wanted some practice and my shoulder's kinda hurt you know?" Mizuki gave an out of place silly grin and pretended to be in pain when he flexed his shoulder muscles.

Iruka had to laugh, "You called her _-chan_ again didn't you?"

There was a sheepish grin on the silver haired ninja's part. "Maybe!"

"That's not fair... using Anko against me." Iruka protested, but he was glad of the distraction. He gave a long look once more to the memorial stone. Soon, the words would possibly be his only link to his parents. It was better than seeing their broken bodies, but he wished he could see their smiles once more.

"Daijoubu Iruka-san. It'll be all right." Mizuki assured him and tugged at his arm.

An exasperated Mitarashi wasn't far away, spouting how mad sensei would be if he found them lax in their training when he got back. If he thought of the group as something of a family, a dysfunctional one perhaps, maybe Iruka wasn't so bad off.

---------------

For the time being, Sarutobi had some silence over Naruto's situation. A woman named Akiko, who had lost her son and husband between the war and the Kyuubi was his current caretaker. The girl was normally upbeat, though under the circumstances, she had become far more reserved. She was one who saw Naruto as a reminder of what she had lost, but at least she didn't hold any contempt for the boy. Until he could find acceptance and even possibly love, he would have to settle for apathy.

"Is it really best to leave him at the orphanage?" Tsunade questioned as she left yet another stack of papers on the old man's desk.

"No. Of course not." The hokage let a few smoke rings rise into the air. He could see the look on Tsunade's face which bade him speak his mind. "Well, I may not have to adopt him out after all."

Tsunade's face scrunched up as she realized what he was saying. "Hokage-sama, you can't mean.... _him!?"_

Hiruzen's wrinkled face remained unchanged as he took great interest in a stack of papers that was laying on his desk. "I do. He should be back from Kawa no Kuni some time in the next few days. I sent out a note for his return personally."

He thought he saw the vein in Tsunade's temple pulse slightly. "_Well..._ I see he'll be in _good_ hands." Tsunade groaned and stormed out of the hokage's office.

---------------

Moonlight welcomed Orochimaru back into the village, as did the glistening of new fallen snow. He grinned and greeted the few who were still awake. It was now late November, and there was hardly a sign that there'd been any struggle back in early October. Oh, he'd noticed the damage to the forest and the mountainside, but the village was virtually untouched. Quite amazing since the village craftsmen usually took months to fill in basic potholes in _good_ weather. He didn't mind the dark and the cold around him though, it rather complemented his pale complexion.

He glided, more than walked, through the village unnoticed for the most part. When he got to the training grounds, he saw the last fighters of the evening. Hot breath turned to white vapor in the frigid air as three young genin fought for supremacy. He noted they were his students, all three of them, vying to stay on top of a singular log that was thicker than the others in the area. King of the Hill was an old game, but it was well adapted to the ninja life. So far, Anko was the Queen of the hill. It amused him as he stood and watched.

The boys were getting nowhere with direct attacks as Anko displayed the reflexes of a coiled viper. It took the combined efforts of the boys and some illusion jutsus to eventually unbalance the girl. Nobody wound up being _King_ though, as they began rolling around in the snow after the girl had finally fallen.

When they finally looked back up at the stump, they were in stunned silence at their sensei, Orochimaru.

"That's... not one of your Jutsus is it?" Anko whispered quietly.

"...Well done, I must say." the jounin said with an all-too-wide smile. "Do you know why ninja often cover their face with a mask or scarf of some kind?" he asked amicably of his students.

"Yes Sensei!" the tomboy princess chirped, eager to show off. He enjoyed the spark in her eyes. "To soften their breathing in order to make infiltration easier!"

"Ahh... yes. But also, it would have helped out here..." The snake ninja said. "I noticed none of your illusions had frost breath." He puffed at the air, to demonstrated the white mist that hung there for a moment as all three out of breath students blushed. He continued to perch on the log and tilted his head at his students. "Well...?"

"We'll do better next time." Mizuki started.

"Good. Training begins 5:30 sharp. I have some new... ideas. Make sure you get enough sleep." Orochimaru told them in his dispassionate way, though the ends of his lips seemed to have an unwholesome tone as he beamed at his young students. Now that he was home, he had so much more _material_ to work with.

The two boys quickly took off arguing while Anko stayed behind. She seemed a bit pensive and scratched behind her neck.

Orochimaru-sensei hopped down off his perch at last and regarded the genin idly while his hands were in the pockets of his jouinin vest. "You have something to say..?"

"Umm... Ano... that is..." Her cheeks turned pink and the Legendary ninja looked ever puzzled at her. He leaned in closer to make sure she was all right, though that was more of a medical inquiry. If he hadn't had his hands in his vest, she might now have had a gash slit up her throat because of the stupid thing she did - she hugged the snake ninja tightly around the neck, frankly shocking the hell out of both of them. "**Welcome back master-sensei!**" she shouted louder than she had to but that somehow seemed to justify the action. She took a quick step back when she was done, blushing deeply. She waved meekly at him before disappearing... she didn't want to know what he was thinking in case it might stop her heart.

...Orochimaru just stared blankly into the distance. '_Omoishiroi indeed... How interesting...'_


	5. Toad

While Orochimaru's return to the village was quiet and under the radar, the Toad Sannin provided a much more flamboyant return. His mission to the Land of the River had been a success, and he was more than pleased to announce this fact to the world. He'd also abused his summoning skills as he waved an arm and flashed a brilliant smile from the back of a toad that was about the size of a horse. He held onto its back with chakra with very little effort.

"_You're really going to get it next time you summon the Boss."_ the toad muttered to his rider.

For a second, the sannin's expression faltered, but the number of women lining the streets more than snapped him back into character. He smiled broadly at them. "The gallant man, Jiraiya returns!" He announced, and did a back flip off the toad, extending two fans that he kept just for show up his sleeves, and landing dramatically. It was a moment that would later have been worthy of Maito Gai. Actually, that chuunin was watching him and taking notes on his hearty appearance and 'youthful' exuberance.

A couple yards away, the toad came to a halt and rubbed his now aching back. He gave a slightly resentful look at the white-haired man when he turned to him, but gave a respectful bow before dispersing back to his home.

While Jiraiya was busy charming the ladies, one such female walked up behind him. Her eyebrow was twitching as she drew her arm back in a meaningful way. "**Where the hell have you been!?**" Tsunade snapped at him as her hand connected with the back of his head with a loud cracking noise. The healer was enjoying the sound of his pain and confusion _far_ too much.

"Oi... Tsunade-san!" Jiraiyah attempted a wide smile and held up a hand defensively. "I was just out on a mission, you know that!"

She rolled her eyes and unfolded her arms from how they'd been against her chest. She then unceremoniously grabbed the Toad hermit by the ear and twisted it painfully, to nearly girl-like squeals. "The Hokage needs to speak with you." she said and turned down the busy street.

----------------

_The Hokage_. Jiraiya had received word on the attack of the village by the Kyuubi-no-kitsune, and it had bothered him that the attack happened in his absence, and that his mission took priority over a swift return. By the time he was in the tower, his face was stony and lacked its previous 'youthful' luster. The idea that Minato was gone was one he had tried not to think about since he was absent from the village. '_If I'd only been there..'_ he thought. Tsunade confided feeling similarly even though she _had_ been there. But from her perspective, there was nothing she could do. What could anyone have done? He loved his old maser Sarutobi as he would his own father, but seeing him in the Hokage's office now somehow seemed... wrong.

"Tsunade said you wanted to speak with me?" It was more of a statement than a question, though he was rubbing a very sore ear.

"Sit down." Sarutobi ordered, taking a few puffs on his pipe. He glanced toward the window and issued orders to the ANBU who were waiting outside to see to it they were not disturbed and had absolute privacy. He remained standing and did a couple passes of the room, making a few hand seals as he did to insure the door would not open nor that their voices would escape the confines of the office before he closed the window and sat down himself. "That window always has been rather drafty, don't you think?"

The white haired jounin nodded glumly, and folded his hands and leaned his elbows on the edge of the desk. He then perched his chin on those hands and gave the Hokage a piercing stare. "I am sorry I was not here sooner. There's no excuse though is there, sensei? We all had our missions and..."

"I know." Hiruzen said softly. "I'm a little wary of the fact certain key fighters were out of the village during the attack... and not small missions either which could be quickly concluded. It's as though someone knew when our power base would be out." The suggestion was understood by both. There was probably a traitor, and that the Kyuubi had been goaded into attacking. The prospect was not pleasant.

Jiraiya's fist clenched tight and he reclined in his seat, hiding their tension as he folded his arms. It was already a lot to think about. "There should be an investigation, of course."

"Already under way my student."

He nodded thoughtfully. "So Minato is..."

"I'm afraid so." Hiruzen's expression fell noticeably.

"How's Kushina taking it?" He inquired idly, but the Hokage's silence hit him like a brick. There was a knot in his stomach as he bolted to attention in horrified realization. "_No_... Sensei... They can't both be dead! They were going to have a baby...! It's...It's..."

"The reason you are here." The old man said as calmly as possible while disbelieving eyes were trained on him. "Kushina died shortly after giving birth to him."

"A son eh?... Ha..." Though the pervert's laugh was without mirth. "Stupid... they were gonna' name him after one of my characters... if it was a boy you know?"

The hokage cleared his throat. "They did." The eyes were again trained on him, with some fear flickering in them as he was realizing already what was going to be asked of him. "Uzumaki Naruto. He wanted the boy to have her name since he had so many enemies."

Jiraiya was unusually quiet, scratching his cheek right beside one of the red vertical marks adorning his face. He didn't know what to say.

"I know they wanted you to be his godfather, and in their absence it seems only right." Sarutobi recited, though neither of them was fully convinced. Jiraya... had his _quirks_.

A certain dose of fear rippled through the ninja. Being a ninja was his identity and although he _loved_ the ladies, the idea of parenthood frightened him. Yes, he'd been through numerous battles in his bright and shining career... but... kids... He just... wasn't good with them. "Hokage-sama... I admire your confidence sir," he lied, "it's just... Really... Me? Ha!" The two of them looked equally nervous. "I'm sure there's plenty of women who could do a better job... Hell, even Tsunade-san..."

"She already turned me down." The old man closed his eyes and inhaled deeply on his pipe. He'd been expecting this. It was good for him that Jiraiya was never particularly good at shogi. "There is no one, I'm afraid."

The nervousness of the toad-summoner increased tenfold. Instead of peeping on the bath houses when he wanted, he was seeing diapers in his future. Instead of going out to dinner with voluptuous ladies of questionable character, he saw himself feeding a dribbling baby... or more likely having peas flung at his face. He already saw his world crashing down around him and wondered briefly if there might be _some_ merit to death after all. "I can't believe that.." he grunted in weak protest.

Gentle smoke rings exited from the kiseru and the old man's mouth, his deep reflective eyes seeming framed in uncertainty. "I wish it were not so, but it is. The boy evokes feelings of loss or hate in most of those who have been in charge of his care so far."

"H-hate?!" And now Jiraiya's black eyes flickered with inner fire and outrage. "**How** could anyone see a child, much less the **Hokage's only son** with such disdain!?" He almost growled and tensed against reaching for a weapon since there was nobody to rightly confront.

"He was born October 10th, the very day of the Kyuubi attack. Furthermore," and the old man suddenly averted his gaze to tap a few embers into a home made ash tray, "The reason Minato is dead is because he used a technique he created called 'Shiki Fuujin'. It split the Kyuubi in two, separating the Yin and Yang aspects of its chakra, meaning the Jinchuriiki will be able to be in control of the demon rather than the other way around."

"...But there was a price" Jiraiya sighed.

Sarutobi nodded, and adjusted the brim of his wide hat bearing the fire symbol of the country they lived in. "Yes. His soul and part of the Kyuubi are now locked in eternal combat within the belly of the shinigami... the death god who presided over the sealing." the very attentive jounin nodded in grim acknowledgment. "It was a desperate move, and I hope we are never forced to use such drastic means to repel an enemy ever again. Still, what's done is done. Despite his best intentions, there are people who see him as the incarnation of the demon itself. Either he is a reason for, or a reminder of the loss. Obviously that cannot continue."

Jiraya coughed, "Naruto, huh?" He leaned back a bit further while thinking. There was no point in beating around the bush. "Demon... Hmph... how naive." he muttered a few words on behalf of Minato's honor and Sarutobi just let him speak his mind. The fragmented thoughts would come to a point eventually. There was a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, not a smile but something else. He was _not_ happy in any case. "I suppose the only people who've suggested he would be better in their care are...?"

"Most likely after power." The hokage confirmed. He relaxed a bit now as things were seeping into the toad ninja's skull. "You know, I can say this about raising a child..."

"What's that?"

Part of Sarutobi really wanted to take this back and not say anything, he really did, but drastic times called for drastic measures. Considering the ego he was dealing with, he decided to be blunt. An uncharacteristic grin which was not quite wholesome met his old wrinkled face as he looked the jounin in the eye, "A guy sensitive enough to take care of a child... well, let's say he won't have any problems attracting the _ladies._" The words having left his lips, he then felt an overwhelming desire to take a shower, but attempted to regain his former composure.

A wide smile spread across Jiraya's face.

------------------------

A weary Iruka reentered the orphanage that had been his home since the attack. He tried not to breathe too heavily, but the future snake mistress had been particularly physical in today's exercises. He would have chalked it up to the fact Sensei was back, but.... something was different about him. The genin couldn't imagine what, but he seemed to have more... _purpose_ and something in that was hidden. Either way, he had put his own slant on the hokage's incentives which caused a now blazing rivalry between Iruka and Anko.

Truthfully, it was more on Anko's side as Orochimaru announced his idea. It was a competition between his two orphaned nins where the victor would be treated to extra training and money in their pockets and... If they passed the upcoming Chuunin exams, the one who performed the best would be personally taken in, adopted by him. Anko had risen splendidly in the challenge and, Iruka thought, she might _actually_ be trying to assassinate him in what was supposed to be a sparring match.

Mitarashi Anko was currently rambling like a rabid fangirl about her prowess in today's match and lyingly boasted how she could stand up to another seven hours of endurance training. She grinned quite insanely while she and Mizuki were walking behind their teammate, laughing... cackling rather, and all but squealing with pride. "And _that_ is how it's done! Yatta ne! O-ro-chi! O-ro-chi!" she giggled.

The silver haired genin winced while the tom boy boasted of her victory and slapped or bumped against him jovially, which was just annoying him right now. He wasn't sure how this challenge was going to end, but before it began he thought there was more cohesiveness between them. The bushy-tailed girl had always been the muscle of the group, while Iruka had more balance and control. That left Mizuki as the long distance fighter between them. He was very good with shuriken and throwing kunai and had just started working on his own techniques. But... he was also the thoughtful one.

The rivalry had no reward for him, and meant that he was no longer a favorite of Sensei's. He would have to work twice as hard just to be noticed. But there was another factor of, how much did they want to compete? The only girl on the team obviously wanted to, but would Iruka?

"Ahh... I gotta go." Mizuki finally said.

"Ahh... you don't want to... stay a little? Umm, we could play Shogi or something." Iruka offered in vain. After the physical beating he'd taken today, he really wanted to just relax, even if Mizuki was the better shogi player.

"No," He replied firmly, "I have.. _parents_ to get back to."

"Ahh... right... Parents..." Umino Iruka tried not to frown, but it was the first time his friend had mentioned them with such emphasis.

"Jya ne." In a puff of smoke, the gennin was gone.

"Oiii... Spoil sport." Anko sighed, then cast her hazel eyes on the brown haired boy with a wide grin. "More training tomorrow! Five-thirty sharp!" she giggled and grabbed him into a headlock, her knuckles driving painfully into her teammate's skull. "Got it!?"

"Yah--- Yes Anko-san!" He was greatly relieved when she let go, began whistling and... glided? back to her room. _'She's scary...'_

-------------------------

Iruka had finally managed to tune out Anko's gloating enough to fall into the cracks that allowed one to sleep. She was still awake and harassing several other girls (only two of them were also genin) and babbling over how Orochi-sama would be taking her home after the chuunin exams. He shuddered at the thought and attempted to sleep. His awareness was slipping into the comforting velvet of sleep when his finely tuned ears perked up at a sound.

It was Naruto again. Currently, there were only 4 orphans who were infants, and he was the only one who cried regularly. It jolted the young ninja awake partly because of Kiyoko, he didn't want her or anyone to have reason to hit or abuse him. He automatically bolted out of bed, wondering what it was this time. At this point he could differentiate between hungry cries and diaper changes, but this one was different.

"Oi... Naru--to..." Iruka shut up immediately upon entering the boy's room. In the dim lighting he saw a man standing there with long, ghost white hair that spiked out in a beastly manner. He couldn't see who he was right away, but the fact he was holding a bundle with spiked blond hair precariously with one hand at arms' length, he was obviously the source of Naruto's protesting cries.

The man turned like a mountain, startling the young genin. His muscular body stood out against the gloom, and light glinted on his metal forehead protector. Unlike the kind he was used to seeing, what was seen was all metal and had the symbol for "oil" on it rather than the konoha leaf. It also had two spikes at either end making him look particularly devilish.

There was a tense moment where neither spoke, but the Jounin sized up the small-fry. Parts of Iruka's mind recalled the Toad ninja, though he didn't look very toad-like. In the middle of this, Naruto continued to cry, which seemed to cause the man some discomfort. Gathering up his courage, Umino found his voice, "I don't think he likes you holding him like that."

"Ano... uh... How... should I hold him?" Jiraiya queried and squatted down to the young teen's level.

Iruka blinked in surprise but found himself taking the bundle and cradling him like a normal baby, Naruto quickly ceased his fussing. "Like this, see? You need to support him. Okay?"

Jiraiya nodded sharply and took the baby back. There was an instant outcry, "Damnit!" he belted, almost dropping the child. "Shut up!"

"Hey! Hey! He's just a kid!" Iruka snorted and kicked the ninja in the shin.

Instantly, the room lacked movement and the crying stopped. The two were frozen staring at each other. "You got some guts kid, what's your name?"

"Ahh... Iruka... Umino... Iruka."

"I see." The Sannin sighed and set the baby back in the crib where he found him.

"Excuse me but... You're Jiraiya right?" The older ninja nodded, "Uh... Why are you here? And what do you want with Naruto?"

Jiraiya's eyes looked over the infant. '_Naruto.'_ He couldn't believe anyone would name their kid something so stupid. But here he was. The Hokage's legacy. His fists clenched again though he smiled a little sadly, "Sarutobi wants me to take him in, but I don't feel worthy."

Iruka walked over to the crib and folded his arms over its rail. He'd looked into those brilliant blue eyes many times and could never see a demon in them. "It's all right Naru-kun. If Hokage-sama says Jiraya can take care of you, you'll be fine, isn't that great?" He smiled softly at the babe.

The toad ninja's face scrunched up uncertainly, "What? Look kid... er... Iruka... whatever. I'm not... I'm not kid friendly okay? I don't know what you know, but you don't know what it's like being a ninja. You can't just... raise a kid like that you know? Even if the Hokage says it's okay!"

Iruka frowned a bit. Yeah, a ninja life wasn't one for a child, but children grow, and he had. Both his parents had died in action, so he knew that part. He'd been doing quite a bit of growing since the attack... still... "I'm sure he has reasons. Both my parents were ninja, it never stopped them."

He realized he was talking to an orphan and bit back the response he was going to give. "So, why do you care about this kid anyhow?"

"Because... he's like me. He just needs someone to believe in him, that's all." A small but present smile lingered on Umino's face whenever he looked at the kid.

A thoughtful silence passed between those in the room. From what Sarutobi said, he was almost certain everyone was out to get the boy, or wished him dead, or didn't care at all. This kid... didn't care about his parentage or the fact he was a demon container. He cared about him, which was the important thing. While certain of his training abilities, Jiraiya felt sorely lacking in proper emotions meant for family.

"Hey.. umm... So... Saying that I _do_ adopt this kid... I'm still not very good with 'em," he gave Iruka a sidelong glance and scratched the back of his head, "I'm also an elite Jounin so I'll have missions. So... Just based on that I kinda... Umm... Hell... Would you baby sit the little diaper-rash there for me?"

Iruka laughed. Jiraiya began a nervous laugh. Baby Naruto gurgled what could possibly be a laugh.

"Okay."


	6. Whirlpool

Jiraiya looked around his apartment helplessly, trying to clear space in his apartment. As the paper take-out boxes indicated, he hadn't done much home cooking. He had skill out in the field, but here he was just a slob occupying a cheap apartment. '_Real classy Jiraiya' _he thought to himself. He sighed and cleared a few boxes off a shelf and heard something clatter as it hit the floor amidst the noodle boxes.

Muttering under his breath about what a failure he was at things and would be, he knelt down to pick up the object. "Gah..." He drew back his hand to find the tip of his finger pierced by a shard of glass. He took a moment to consider the wound even as he reflexively pulled the offending piece from his finger. '_Glass...'_ He cast aside the boxes and his heart almost stopped. He saw the back of a photo frame laying on the ground and was thinking about its contents.

The toad nin picked it up reverently and was rewarded with the view he was expecting. Within the frame was a picture of Jiraiya, Tsunade, Minato, Kushina, and several others. It was from the flower festival earlier that year. It had only been a few months ago, but it somehow seemed like years. His mind fought to keep the images fresh and clear, even though a crack now ran through the picture. "Bakamou... Dyin' like that with a kid on the way? Hah... just wait til...' Til... Damnit, you shouldn't have died."

The apartment seemed totally inadequate for a child, even to Jiraiya's limited understanding of how to raise one. He sighed and got back to work after setting the picture back where it belonged. It was set between an assortment of photos, half of which had his own person half slugged out of the frame, usually by Tsunade. He still needed to get her to write him a love letter! But back to his failings, he made the attempt to get back to work.

Cleaning can be seen as a treasure hunt, and the Legendary sannin wasn't good at it either. Mostly he was finding that he ate an unhealthy amount of ramen cups and take-out fried rice and lo mien. Sometimes he would come across a presumably lost kunai or two and shuddered at the thought of Naruto coming across them unsupervised. He was having luck finding a number of girlie magazines that made his nose bleed and were certainly not child friendly. His progress was slowed considerably when he passed the shelving with the photos, becoming lost to the past.

-----------------------------

_"Jiraiya-kun!" a cheerful lady with bright red hair called, running toward the white-haired demonic jounin._

_He noticed that her pace had shifted and she seemed lighter on her feet for the way she moved, carefully as if protecting something. She must have come from half way across the village the way she was panting, but the man was not about to run from her. Kushina was a friend. "Oi! You seem energetic today!"_

_She came to a stop in front of him and lightly tapped the toe of her right shoe to the ground. She was dressed in a loose orange shirt trimmed in yellow and wore black capris. She didn't seem to care about the way the wind had swept her hair and the cheerful smile on her face was twice as bright as he remembered. "I have good news!"_

_"Oh? Must be. I don't usually see you this hyper, and that's saying something." He laughed as the woman almost tossed him to the ground in a bone-breaking hug. She could too. He wished deep down that he was her boyfriend instead, but... she was too young for him... right?_

_"I just came from the hospital," Kushina started, holding up a hand when he arched a brow and tried to say something, "I saw Tsunade because I was having some problems and... well it isn't a problem at all!"_

_"...Meh!? uh...? Kushina-chan? Make sense will ya'? Tsunade and problems don't just.... what the hell'd she say?"_

_The glowing kunoichi's smile broadened and she giggled. She looked up at him with a wild spark in her eyes suggestive of mischief before she spoke, "I'm pregnant! And even better? You're going to be the godfather! Isn't that great!?"_

_"H-oo.... Congrats! Wow... ahh..." The jounin's cheeks became red. He only wondered for a moment who the father was before quickly reaching the only conclusion. Then the word 'godfather' struck. "Uhh... have you told _him_ yet?"_

_She shook her head, "Nope! I was just on my way, but I saw you first!" Her laughter rang, filling his ears._

_-------------------------_

It was quiet in the apartment, but a little cleaner now that all the remnants of past dinners (many of them well expired) was now safely in the trash. Kushina's laughter kissed his ears all the same and he thought about the first laugh Naruto had given, one her ears would never hear. He gathered up one of the tatami mats off the floor and took it to the balcony to shake it out, a good deal of dust floating into the air.

---------------------------

_Minato flew into a fit of coughs which Jiraiya gave him a good slap on the back to break himself from. He was privy to a moment he had no right to. Before him, he could see an exchange of love and knew the lovers were made to be. The disbelief on Minato's face was completely disbanded when he locked his brilliant blue eyes with her smiling cerulean gaze._

_"Y-you mean it?" The fourth asked. A nod was his only answer. The Yellow Flash was flash frozen in his seat at Hokage Mansion. Until a few minutes ago he'd been kneeling at a table having afternoon tea until Kushina came flying along, Jiraiya wanting to see how he'd react. "Ku... Kushina."_

_"Minato-kun, does it make you happy?"_

_The teacup that was in the Yondaime's hand fell to the table, suddenly forgotten. He embraced his lover in a tight protective hug. Words of love were spoken to her ear and the forgotten sannin was sure he wouldn't have been able to hear them even if he strained because they were meant for her. Light glinted on the spilled tea from the open window while he embraced her, his long robe curling partly around her as doves do to protect their own._

_"I was worried you might be upset... We aren't married and..."_

_"No. You could never make me unhappy." Namikaze assured her._

_"I told Jiraiya he could be the baby's godfather," she told him with a laugh tacked on as if that would make him unhappy._

_"Him?"_

_"Well, I decided on a name already."_

_"You always were impulsive. Tell me."_

_"If it's a boy, I want him to be Naruto."_

_Minato's eyes widened a bit. He seemed to think it was a good name too and after some thought, nodded. "Hey..." He finally gave his attention to the sannin who was now trying to sneak away from the scene unnoticed._

_"Yes, Hokage-sama?" he replied with a half smile. He was honestly a bit jealous..._

_"Don't call me that, sensei. When are you going to publish that book? We'll need a story to tell Naruto at night you know, so it had better be good."_

_A sheepish grin sprouted on his face as he gave a helpless shrug, "I dunno... I got some offers for another story. I .. didn't really think it was that good."_

_"I loved it! You must publish it Jiraiya-sama! Got it?!" Kushina put in enthusiastically._

_He smiled gently at the two. "Got it."_

-------------

The toad hermit muttered, "Don't got it," as he looked down on a stack of papers that had sat neglected in a corner of the room. His first book that was soon to be published was something of an embarrassment when he thought of his former student. _Icha Icha Paradise volume 1 _would be released that spring if all went well. He was having thoughts about it though, it was... mostly a collection of his personal fantasies under the thin guise of being a 'romance novel'. It was smut, and he was feeling pretty bad as he reviewed the material which gave young Naruto his name.

_'Why did I stop writing this?'_

He looked at the title of the manuscript, "Will of Fire, The Great Warrior Naruto!" He'd named the main character Naruto, obviously, and he was a ninja. He went through great lengths to protect the people of his village, but most of all, the woman he loved.

--------------

Steam rose from the cup of tea Tsunade had just poured for herself and another cup for her boyfriend Dan. It wasn't often she was quiet, but there had been much to think of lately. She could see it in her lover's eyes as well. "Here you go," she said gently and then took a seat on a chair across from him, her eyes fixed on the fresh brew.

"Something troubling you, Tsunade?" The jounin asked gently. He had silvery hair which had a slight blue tint to it and sea-blue eyes as well, the deep kind that the slug sannin could drown in.

"Ah... Yes." She replied, bringing the teacup to her lips in a very controlled manner.

"Well? I'm not a mind-reader you know." he chuckled lightly. He adjusted his black sweater which itched just a bit, but he wouldn't say so in front of her since it was a gift.

"Don't you have enough to worry about? And here I thought you were going to be the next Hokage."

"If Sarutobi resigns, I suppose, but it's up to him again," Dan sighed a bit, "This isn't related to our feelings on medic nins being assigned to squads though... it seems... more personal today. Will you tell me Tsunade-san?"

There was a glimmer of reminiscence in her eyes as she looked at the teacup. It too was a gift. The tea set she used had a blue ocean design on it complete with sea monsters woven through it. It had come from Whirlpool country, as had the tea which was a mixture of jasmine and green tea with a hint of ginger. She hated it.

"Just thinking about some of the people we've lost. You know about Naruto right?"

"Kushina's boy? Yeah. He's been big news since it was revealed he's a demon container. I find it hard to believe myself but..." He shrugged, "why's that concern you?"

"...Sarutobi asked if I would raise him."

Dan sat upright with his gaze fixed on hers. He'd actually wanted to settle down with Tsunade for a while, and of course he wanted children too, so this had definitely sparked his interest. "And...?"

"I told him no." She sighed, "...Jiraiya's going to take care of him, but I don't think he's really capable..."

The ninja hid his disappointment but set his own tea down and gave her a solid hug. "You'd make a great mother," he encouraged.

Tsunade took a deep breath, something in the tea made her remember and she suddenly felt sick.

"Tsunade...?"

The cup fell from her trembling hands as she embraced her lover and began crying, "I don't deserve to be a medic! Dan... I... Kushina died... it was my fault! Even if I wanted to be a mother... I..." she sobbed into his chest, "I let her die Dan! I..."

"Shhh...." He kissed her forehead, "It's not your fault..."

------------------------

"_Tsunade." Minato's voice echoed heavily in her ear. He hadn't been there a moment ago, but his face was grave against the evening light which lent only a sliver of gold to outline him._

_"Hokage-sama!" Tsunade replied. She was geared for battle as were the others, and the growls of the Kyuubi rumbled through the village._

_"I know they need you, but I need you now, as a favor.."_

_"Huh?"_

_He grabbed the Legendary Sucker around the waist and in a fraction of a second and they were gone. When they reappeared, it was in Uzumaki Kushina's bedroom. The suffering cry of the woman told Tsunade all she needed. Performing a few quick hand seals, there were now two Minato's in the room, and one hastened to her side._

_"I said I would be here for this if it was the last thing I did." Minato laughed a little and put his arms around the redheaded kunoichi. Something in his laugh made Tsunade nervous._

_"I see. You can be here and help the village." the blond woman sighed a little, then looked at the mistress from Whirlpool Country. Before she knew it, Minato, or his clone, had disappeared to rally the troops._

_At some point while Kushina was giving birth, the Hokage's eyes took on a dark tone to them. They did not belong in the brilliant blue eyes of the Hidden Leaf's shining star. He had left communications open between him and the clone, and both minds were mounting with sadness and loss. It wasn't just a body count, it was friends, family... it was his people, and he wept inside. There was great power out there, but it was not his to wield._

_He looked on his suffering love and murmured how it would be over soon. They would have a son, and their family would be complete. With Tsunade close by, there was no way anything could go wrong. But inside, inside he knew their family was broken before it began._

_Looking through a number of forbidden scrolls, the Hokage in the tower formulated a plan. His triumph as he went over the seals were clouded soon by tears as he realized what it would mean for his family. "Kushina..."_

_As sunrise was on its way, and the tired ninja left in the village were being mopped off the battlefield, a small boy's first cries echoed in the confines of a small home in Konoha. "It's a boy!" Tsunade beamed._

_"Ahh....! Oh let me see! Naruto-kun!" Kushina squealed with renewed but short lived energy._

_"Honey.... I have a plan to stop the demon but..." The fourth started, and looked at his complete, perfect family. He sighed, this would be hard. He outlined his plan and the fact he wouldn't be there for Naruto's upbringing. The new mother shouted protests and insisted there had to be another way, but even so, the boy was pulled from her arms and tears from both hung in the air after he had disappeared._

_That was when Tsunade saw the blood. "You... We need to stop this!" It was not uncommon for mothers to have injuries associated with birth, usually bleeding. But she was bleeding out, and worse, she was near-hysteric after her lover had left with their child. "Please! Kushina! Calm down!" But she hadn't, and the great medic was unable to treat her. _

_It wasn't until she was too weak and the fox had been silenced that she came to her senses. "I'm sorry... Tell Naruto... I'm sorry."_

_-------------------_

"I should have done more Dan.." Tsunade whispered, trembling now at the thought of Kushina's blood. "'_I'm sorry'..._ It just sounds so.. inadequate."

"Tsunade..."

"They trusted me, and I let them down. How can I ever face Naruto? I knew what Minato was going to do and said nothing. I promised to take care of Kushina and I failed. If a healer can't do what they're supposed to then..."

Dan sighed and held the woman he loved close, "We all failed that night." Silence passed between them for a while. "Naruto's still alive. Since Kushina isn't here, you have to tell him what she said, and don't be afraid. If he's anything like Minato, he'll understand."

A small smile finally worked its way onto her face and she began to rest in his arms. "So what now? Train harder?"

"Ganbatte, darling. You know... Do your best."

-----------------

It had taken a great deal of effort, but all stray weapons had been rounded up and put in a weapon's locker. All small chokable objects were in curio cabinets covered in glass. All discarded ramen cups were in the trash. The funky mildewy-whatever-the-hell-it-_was-_in the bath tub was now gone. The cheap pornography was in the trash (though the higher cut photos Jiraiya really liked were at the bottom of a box of old papers he had sitting up on a shelf in the closet). Most importantly, the room he'd used for storage was now free of debris and ready for habitation by a human being. Everything in the apartment was now spotless and the Toad Sannin felt like he had just fought a long, hard battle.

He flopped down on an overstuffed couch and let a stack of papers sit on the coffee table in front of him. He leaned over and looked at the papers and smiled a little. '_Well. I guess there's no choice now.'_

A knock came at the door and the shiroi haired man ambled to the door. "Yah?" He cracked open the door but had to look down to see who it was. "Oh. It's you... Uh... kid from earlier right?" He recalled a faint pain in his shin.

"Iruka, Jiraiya-san." The brown haired boy replied. He scratched the back of his head and his mussy hair shook a bit.

"Umm... So... Why are you here?"

"Oh... Here. I was told to bring these to you, they belong to Naruto," He replied and held up a cardboard box filled with a few items.

"Arigatou." He nodded and accepted the items. He was turning back to the interior of his apartment, but stopped, noticing Iruka was still there. "I got tea going, but there's no food here ya' know."

"Huh? Oh... um... Tea's fine."

Jiraiya sighed. He was no good with kids, even teens. They were the worst kind of kids because they talked back and had minds of their own and did the opposite of what you thought they would. "Right. Come in." The hermit set the box down on the couch, but then decided to look serious and grinned menacingly at the boy, "And don't touch anything! Got it!?"

Iruka looked at the man like he was crazy but nodded and made himself at home, curious of the box's contents. Still, while the man went to get tea, his curiosity was piqued by the papers on the table. He could see the name "Naruto" written on it and began skimming through the story.

"Hey! That's private!" the elite Jounin grumbled, but honestly he had wanted an opinion. He set the tea cups down then made a grab for the manuscript.

"It's good, I didn't know you were a writer."

Jiraiya relaxed a little and grinned, "Yeah. Been working on it for a while. Stupid thing really." He replied and pulled the box into his lap after setting aside the story.

"He needs some friends though." Iruka commented. Jiraiya arched a brow at that, "You made Naruto a great warrior, but he's all alone." The young genin ran a finger across his scar, a motion understood by the older man.

"He has a girlfriend," the elder ninja grumbled.

"Maybe, but.. I dunno... Maybe but if it was me... I'd like to have others with me I could trust."

"...Maybe" he conceded. Iruka picked up the fiction again, and the man didn't stop him. Instead, he proceeded to open the box. It wasn't much of course, a few items for his care, bottles and blankets... but also a funny looking kunai and a scroll with a broken seal. _'Minato...'_

----------------

**Author Notes:** Wow, I actually feel the need to explain something. I read somewhere that both "Uzumaki" and "Namikaze" mean whirlpool. Uzumaki Kushina is from "Whirlpool Country" which is where this chapter gets its name from. I've tried imagining and getting the context of when and where people died in the Narutoverse as well as I could looking through wikis and episodes for help and inspiration. Still, a fanfic gets to bend reality to fit it so I'll just say this.. Dan should be dead already and Tsunade probably also gone from the village with Dan's niece Shizune. At first I was going to just use Tsunade/Shizune as a lead-in in a flashback and I was going to leave Dans' death an open book, not saying explicitly if he is alive or dead. However, Shizune/Tsunade wasn't giving me the feelings I wanted. Dan lent himself to the story so I decided to give him a little life extension. Don't get too attached.


	7. Sensei

**Author Notes:** Actually, more of an apology for the 'late' update. LoL. I find if I don't push myself I tend not to get things done. Procrastinators of the world unite!... tomorrow. Well what can I say? I started writing this when I wasn't totally in the mood, so the first draft was flushed. Then my friend Fortune came back from Vietnam, and I've been catching up with her since. So, I guess between that and work I've been busy... so here it is! ... now what do I call it?

------------------------

Umino Iruka became two people over the following weeks leading to the winter Chuunin exams. Jiraiya, on the one hand, kept him busy with Naruto presumably. On the other hand, Orochimaru kept his team on their toes with a very strict, unyielding training schedule. In between, there was little time for the orphan to be himself, whoever that was.

A gentle dusting of snow had settled over the village and the shivering genin stood with his breath hanging like a cloud in the air as he looked on the memorial stone. It had been a while since he'd been able to stand there, and he was reflecting on events since October tenth. It was rather surreal, now that he thought about it and the images of that day flooded into the forefront of his mind. Although he could see every blood spray, every body fly, feel and smell and taste the danger he'd faced... the terror was somehow _muffled._ There was a pillow over his ears now that he thought about the sounds, even his own parents cries as they fought to protect what they loved most. And yet, that alone caused tears to fall unbidden and he bit his lip to have something else to focus on. His own salty tears mixed with the blood and fell crimson against the white landscape.

"Iruka! _Iruka!... Iruka!"_ a voice repeated. At first, it might have been his parents, but suddenly a hand was on his shoulder and he reacted like a snake, coiling into a defensive pose, kunai raised. Then his eyesight beheld the one who had '_attacked' _him. It was just Mizuki. "Hey. Can't stay in a daze all day, can you?" the white-haired kid smiled kindly. "We have practice, you know?"

Relaxing his stance, Iruka put his hands in his pockets and looking down, he smeared the blood on the ground with his foot. "Anko's going to win, you know? She's gotten so much better, so fast."

Mizuki placed his friend with an odd gaze and shrugged. Of course he had noticed the blood and knew he'd been crying again, but now was not the time for it. "Iruka. You know better than this. If anyone's going to win and become a Chuunin, it's got to be us okay?" He attempted a grin, but he also knew Iruka was right. It was foolish to think Anko wouldn't win the little wager Orochimaru had proposed, and it had an obvious strain on the team's cohesiveness and abilities in combat. His concern though was more along the lines of sensei Orochi-sama not teaching them anymore, stalling their progress as Shinobi. He could not allow that to happen, so he had to work with what he could... which was more than his friend initially had.

The young genin smiled a bit and glanced in the direction of their usual training grounds. "So, what's the snake-bastard want today?" Umino said with a grin. He made a motion to wipe his tears, and any semblance of sorrow had been erased with that movement.

Even Hoshino Mizuki had to laugh at that and had to agree. "Make sure you have good Chakra control, he doesn't want any footprints left on the ground." Iruka groaned.

-----------------------------

Just as chakra could be used to run up trees or walk on water, the tension could also keep them from breaking a leaf or leaving footprints in the snow. As chakra potentials was one of Orochimaru's private... _studies_ lately, that meant he put such things to the test quite often. Often enough to make all three genin regret getting out of bed... not that Mitarashi Anko necessarily slept.

She was eerily alert at all times, even when she was supposed to be sleeping. (Anyone at the orphanage wishing to pull a prank on her quickly learned this and made a note never to do it again. The fact that she didn't appear to wake up while beating the tar out of them, Iruka included as one of the would-be pranksters, was even more reason to call her 'scary lady!') Despite displays of girlish fits of giggles and laughter in the presence of her idolized sensei, she was an exquisite shinobi in every other sense. She had all the advantages the boys didn't, including extra tutoring by Orochimaru-sensei. The girl with indistinguishable hazel eyes had sharp instincts, immaculate control of her chakra, a keen and flexible mind (which the Sannin swore to delve into at a later date) and a flexible body to match. Her hyperactive nature seemed to radiate so that, even though she was wearing shorts and a camo vest over a fishnet shirt and tank top, she seemed plenty warm.

_'We're dead'_ both of the boys thought in tandem. Mizuki, considering the fact he still had parents and training opportunities Iruka didn't, had been unable to excel at anything. He was adequate. For Iruka, it was the constant bickering he did with Jiraiya over what to do with Naruto, and his actual care, that kept him from properly training, aside his lack of proper instruction. Still, the boys were close enough in tune with each other to work as a team against the future snake mistress.

The holder of the snake summoning contract smiled dispassionately as he watched the training match. He noticed the difference in his teammates abilities and skills more sharply now than ever and was honestly enjoying the fight. He grinned inwardly as he watched a kunai graze Mizuki's cheek. _She licked it!_ She licked the blood off the kunai and she _was smiling!_ '_How delightful!'_ he cackled to himself. He'd already decided she would be the one he would _train_, the one he would invest the most in. She could already hold off both her teammates single-handedly and there was a certain pride welling up in him as he watched the maturing girl and wondered what she would become. Of course, he would directly influence the form and fate of her future, you could count on that.

There were cries of "No fair!' and "Hey! You're not supposed to draw blood!" and a few convulsive shudders at the apparent pleasure Anko was taking from the fight. But all good things had to come to an end eventually, so Orochimaru stood and drew an end to the battle. "Youku dekimashita!" he said in a slow deliberate way, smiling amiably at his students, but mostly Anko. The boys noticed and were not amused even at his patronizing applause. "You did well to fend off my star pupil." The sannin commented dryly to quickly souring faces.

"Sensei!" Mizuki spoke up. An arched brow was his only indication he could safely continue. "It's not enough! We need more training, sensei! Please, teach us too!" he gave a pleading bow, and elbowed Iruka in the gut to do likewise.

Orochimaru just laughed. "Ooh... am I not being fair?" he chuckled. He looked at them with a few strands of his black hair falling over his gaze and knelt down, his sickeningly white smile and pallid face making him appear somehow stretched to the two hopeful ninja. "I'm sorry... I'll just have to tell our enemies not to kill you then when you _fail_ to stop an incoming attack." he shrugged.

"But..." Iruka frowned, "How are we supposed to succeed when you never _work with us!?_" he complained.

The older shinobi leaned back, hands in his pockets, drifting into deep thought. He looked so precarious the way he was poised, a slight breeze should have blown him over. Things weren't fair, no, but then again, nobody said it _would_ be fair. People were always trying to stack the deck in their favor, and Orochimaru was no exception. Still, he supposed he would have to offer something. Besides, their success meant his future experiment would have to push her limits further and that could only yield better, more _interesting_ results.

"The rules have been set. The Chuunin exams are on their way. That will be what decides who I will personally teach and raise between you and Anko-chan." The girl almost wet herself in excitement over the -_chan_ honorific and a high pitched squeal left the exuberant teen. The snake winced slightly with the boys over that one. "But I have been playing favorites... All right. I concede this far, Anko won't be receiving any more special training until after the exams." And this caused a disgruntled squawk from the girl. "Not to say you're off the hook for training," and further grumbling ensued. He gave the boys a more serious look. "You two display great teamwork, that alone gives you an edge on Mitarashi. However, I want you two to train independently from now on. Each of you will earn training sessions with me based on how well you individually fare against Anko. After the exams..." he trailed off, gold eyes glinting in the waning light of day, "I make no promises. You are shinobi now, do not disappoint."

A vapor of smoke was left where the jounin had been sitting and the teammates were left staring at one another. This could not end well.

-----------------

More dead than alive, a depressed Umino trudged through the thickening layers of snow to Jiraiya's apartment. He was shivering from the cold, having forgot about any kind of _padded_ clothes beside his jacket, and the result was frozen ankles. What he wouldn't give to be an uchiha about now, with their fire techniques, _they_ probably _never_ wanted for warmth.

Soon his knuckles came within an inch of the door when he heard the crying inside. '_Baka...'_ he grunted, then threw the door open without caution. As soon as the initial crash subsided, a wave of silence washed over the apartment and everything seemed to have become a place of ice sculptures. The crying was not Naruto's, something the boy certainly hadn't anticipated.

Iruka was stuck with a dropped jaw and one foot in the air, the one he'd used to bash the door open with. Jiraiya was hunched over a figure sitting in his _favorite_ e-z chair that _nobody, _on pain of _pain_, would dare sit on if they wanted the continued ability _to _sit in the future. The one _in_ the chair was the slug sannin, Tsunade who, of all people, was crying.

"A...A... ano..." Iruka's face cracked into a decently embarrassed visage. "I... umm.. bad time?" he grinned broadly, showing entirely too many teeth. Jiraiya twitched, and the white haired beast of a man simply pointed to Naruto's room. The boy nodded in understanding, and quickly went to check on his charge.

-------------------

A small amount of chakra subconsciously filled Iruka's ears while he went into the child's room, for lack of a better term. '_He could have at least put the mop and broom somewhere else...'_ he thought irritably. He'd thought utilization of space like this _stopped_ once you left the orphanage, as he even had a room to himself now that most of the kids had been adopted out.

"Hey! Naruto-kun! Toad-man taking good care of you?" He smiled at his '_baby brother'_ and tickled the kid's stomach. Naruto cooed and giggled. It was a little troubling that the seal was still so visible, and that there was an impression of whisker marks on his cheeks. Couldn't be helped though, and it wasn't like it was his fault was it?

He did the usual check, which was almost medical in nature, to make sure that Naruto was healthy. It was his philosophy that if you accepted a task, you did it well. He'd never accepted the challenge Orochimaru had set up, which was why he was only half inclined to see it through. Besides, Anko-chan was scary.

Because of the chakra enhancing his hearing, he picked up bits of the conversation from the other room. Tsunade was sobbing for the most part, so he imagined even Jiraiya was having trouble with things. He did, however, pick up the words "ambush" "mission", "failure" and "blood."

It wasn't Iruka's business, he reminded himself. He was just here for Naruto because... because... he was his baby-sitter... because... Jiraiya asked him to. '_Hmm'._ Suddenly, that didn't seem to be enough. Because he liked Naruto? Maybe. He did respect him for what he did for the village, even if nobody else would. Jiraiya had called him his baby brother enough, even he was starting to call him that in his mind. But thinking and feeling were two different things, and the world had been muted to him since his last visit to the memorial stone.

_"Dan's name is being engraved on it.."_ Tsunade said just as he was thinking about the monument. "_...and on his birthday... Jiraiya...'_ The toad-nin cursed and presumably tried comforting the inconsolable woman. That explained a lot. It was no secret that Tsunade was in love with Dan, and he had wanted to be Hokage... he was also very well-liked by the public. His death would undoubtedly be a great loss, and caused Iruka to think back on his own losses.

A sympathetic smile graced him when he looked back at the wild-haired boy. He brushed away a few spikes of yellow, only for them to fall back into place. "We're the same you know? All alone. Even sensei won't teach me now, so I have to find my way. You too, right?" He turned to the door which was all that separated him from two of the greatest ninja in the village, the irony of the situation just beginning to dawn on him.

---------------------

Iruka usually only stayed at the apartment so long as Jiraiya was busy with something else, or out drinking. The something else was sometimes his novel, and sometimes what he called _'research'_. Iruka knew what he meant by that when he'd started bringing in Jiraiya's mail too... filthy old pervert. Today he stayed in with Naruto while the toad had comforted Tsunade. But Jiraiya was no good at comfort, and _comfort_ quickly came in liquid form.

When the lad finally mustered the courage to come out of Naruto's room, he gave up trying to count how many sake bottles lay around the living room. Tsunade was kicked back on _the_ chair and was snoring with the quintessential snot bubble expanding and shrinking in time with her breath. Jiraiya was similarly indisposed, but he was splayed in a far less dignified manner on the floor, with his ass in the air, and arms curled around a sake bottle. He was also muttering about Tsunade's 'fine curves'.

"Oooh... Tsunade-sama...." Jiraiya droned, and giggled a bit. His face was beet read as he snuggled against the bulbous drinking gord. "Mmmm........."

The scratched junior nin winced at this display. '_Disgusting. May I never be like you Ero-sennin.'_ There was a slight sucking noise as Iruka filled his lugs with air, bracing himself, and his foot drew back. It connected with Jiraiya's head which, in turn, connected with one of the legs of the coffee table.

"**YEoooooWWW! ITAI YO!"** The sannin jumped half way to the ceiling, and let out another loud yell and several unmentionable swears before coming down to earth. He quickly looked at Tsunade, who was snoring louder, a trail of drool marring his beautiful chair. Despite where his mind was in his sleep, he was not so perverse as to think of taking advantage of her, or pressing her over a date so soon after Dan's death. He grumbled a bit and grabbed the offending Umino by the shoulder and yanked him into the kitchen. "You got guts." he said through gritted teeth, grumbling and groggy. "Whaddaya' ezpekt grum bee?" he mumbled and now almost fell asleep. Iruka kicked him in the shin. "Yee---" He glanced back at the door to the living room and quickly snapped his trap shut. He glared at the boy.

He tried calming down and despite the pain having brought him to a mid-state of cognitive functionality, he was still stinking drunk. The jounin slumped down in a chair and attempted to look menacing, "...Okay, you have a _lot_ of nerve. Tell me right now why I shouldn't kick you into Iwa?"

"I'll wake up your girlfriend." he replied flatly.

In an instant far too fast for the human eye, the toad-nin was flat on his face, twitching. "...The hell? What's with you today?" Jiraiya asked, pulling himself back up into the chair and trying not to fall back asleep.

Iruka sighed and scratched the back of his head, "I... kind of need training."

A lazy eye finally contacted his and a white brow arched with interest. "Ain't that 'rochi's department?"

"He won't train us unless we earn it, and we can't win against Mitarashi-san unless we get extra training. Please?" he pleaded in earnest.

Dusty parts of the sage's brain began to turn, more like grinding stones than a well-oiled machine. A mouth hung open as if to speak several times, before closing without so much of a squeak. _'Rochi... rochi... not training students... baka... hnn... now... bah...._' "So... that's... my problem?"

"You're a _sannin!_ One of the three legends of the village! If you taught me..."

"Uh uh... nothin' doin." Jiraiya shrugged. "That's 'Rochi's place, not mine. 'Sides, I can see him not training a snot-nosed brat like you."

A hurt look flickered in Umino's eyes before they became firm and fortified with inner strength. It was something Ero-sennin could understand, though his hurt pride, face, throbbing head and shin were arguing against that point. "I want you to train me! If Orochimaru-sama won't do it, then you'll have to! You just, have to!"

"I don't have time," he shrugged again and rubbed his cheek idly. The red streaks on his face had to be tattoos, because they never smudged.

"Can't you talk to sensei!?" Another shrug was his reply. Exasperated, Iruka thumped his head on the table, then Naruto began wailing.

"...Damnit... 's gonna wake Tsu...na.. Tsunadddd....de."

And again, Naruto had given Iruka a reason to smile. "I can quiet him!" he offered quickly. He stopped at the kitchen door.

"Beh? Why stop? C'mon... he's gonna wake Tsu!"

"Hnn... You know, I never asked for any money to babysit him..." Iruka commented in sudden wonder.

Nobody looks good drunk, Jiraiya especially. It was hard to say who'd drank more, but it didn't matter because the ninja's rock muscles had decided they were jelly. "Why you--"

"It's not too much to ask, you know? An hour or two maybe? Even once a week... I'm sure that'd show Orochimaru-sama how cool toads are too." Naruto continued wailing, and through the open kitchen door, Jiraiya could see the crying had upset Tsunade even in her sleep.

"Fine! Fine! Just shut the brat up!"

"Deal!" Iruka snapped, but halted before his hand left the doorknob as he felt a mild dose of killing intent on his neck. he looked back at Jiraiya, who's eyes were bloodshot and the drooling/foaming at his mouth was not a good sign.

"...I am so gonna' fucking kill you for this! You're gonna' really wish 'Rochi'd train you so get ready for pain kid!" and then the grown man's head dropped on the table and he was lost to the alcohol once more.

-------------

A victorious and hopeful Iruka quickly went to check on his charge. Instantly, the room went quiet. Curiously, the young genin stepped over to the crib and looked down. Two orbs of the most brilliant blue practically illuminated the room. Somehow, he felt Naruto understood what he'd just done, but that wasn't possible.

He scratched the back of his head, his pineapple-like hair style splaying out more than usual. "I don't know what's with you, or me, but... thanks, ok?"

The baby giggled.

'_What are you?'_ the teen asked himself, and not for the first time. A good luck charm perhaps. "Oh well, Be good tonight, kay? Tsunade just had bad news, and he and Jiraiya had way too much to drink. And you shouldn't be like either of them okay? Tsunade's the slug sannin, and she's a terrible gambler too!"

He stayed with Naruto for a while that evening, relating news from the village as if the boy understood every word. He didn't believe in 'baby talk' at all, and never cooed or made weird noises at Naruto. Well, maybe he made weird noises to get his attention or entertain him at times, but that was different. As far as he was concerned, he was just a tiny person. It made him feel good to just talk to the boy, getting nothing in return but a gassy smile or typically oblivious look. It wasn't until well after midnight that the orphan returned to his temporary home, feeling just a bit more confident.

A flicker of red chakra spun around the infant after he left, and a smile, not entirely his own, molded on the boy's face. A smile filled with mischief, and ringing of a fox's laughter.


	8. Spirals

**Notes:** Well, this was a little later than I wanted, but there's things I want to happen next chapter that couldn't happen in this one.

--------------------

Once again, rings of smoke dissipated gently as they reached the ceiling of the Hokage's office. Sarutobi was silent, pensive, thinking about a number of issues all at once. He alone knew just how many factors were in play, and even his knowledge was limited to the growing stack of reports on his desk. Dan's death had been a tragic loss to be sure, but it was not without reward. Hiruzen's elderly fingers slid across a manilla envelope marked "Top Secret" as many of the documents he had were. Some of it was starting to make horrible, terrible, sense to him. He inhaled the smoke of his pipe deeply before releasing it slow and deliberately.

"Tsunade," the elderly man said in a kind, but tired tone as he acknowledged the woman standing across from his desk at last. Behind her was a young, dark haired girl who had remained silent all this time.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The blond Sannin replied stoically.

"I've read over your request. You wish to be freed from service to the village. If it were anyone else, I would be immediately suspicious, but it is not war time and I've no reason to think you'd betray us... but I would like to know your reasoning," he voiced in reply.

"Hai. Of course, you have that right," Tsunade sighed heavily, "Since Dan's death, I've nothing to tether me to this village. I have seen it at its best, and at its worst... I love this village, I do, but the sorrow is too much for me to bear."

The elder ninja nodded solemnly. It was bad enough Tsunade had lost her brother a day after his twelfth birthday, but now Dan as well... December 4th, his own birthday. A very sad irony. Not the first or last birthday that has been marred by blood, recalling not long ago, Naruto's mother and father had both died after his birth. He could understand her desire to leave a place of bloodshed though...

"Tsunade-san, I must ask... why is Shizune with you?" he inquired of the girl beside her.

"Please Hokage-Sama! Let me go with Tsunade-san! Kudasai!" the kunoichi pleaded.

Sarutobi took a long draw from his pipe and tapped the ashes into a tray. "Hnn... Your apprentice is rather persistent. Well, Tsunade, is there any reason I should let her go with you?"

Tsunade, as a ninja, was known for hiding her emotions. Lately, that had been problematic. Even worse was the growing sense of hemophilia. She just... couldn't look at blood without envisioning the dead. Even if it wasn't her fault, she felt as if it were. She clenched her fists and lowered her head in an attempt to maintain her composure, "I would like to leave the village alone. Yet, Shizune has requested I continue her training. I think it's a mistake but..."

A hand silenced her while the man in the Hokage's seat thought things over. This wasn't a hard decision to make really. It both worried and comforted him that Shizune would be with her. The girl was Dan's niece, and she'd been training under Tsunade for a while, so that was nothing new. The comfort was that the kunoichi had the common sense that Tsunade lacked, and that it would look better on paper for them to go together. It would also be unfortunate as she could be a reminder of her lost love. All the same, Tsunade had made up her mind, and so had Shizune.

"Your request is granted... in part. I will not remove you from the list of active ninja of this village. Instead, you will be on an extended training mission," He motioned then to Shizune, "you may take as long as you like."

"Thank you, Sensei. But... I doubt I will be returning." Tsunade said with a bow.

"Time will tell," her old master smiled before both ninjas shunshined out. He then closed the file on Tsunade and Shizune.

Sarutobi arranged three folders on his desk. The first of the envelopes was centered around the Uchiha clan. Since the founding of Konoha, it and the Senju clan were the supreme power in the village. Senju Hashirama's appointment as the first Hokage was a personal snub to the clan leader of the time, Uchiha Madara. Back then, they were tired of fighting and Madara's campaign for power was shot down by his people. Yet, as time went on and the Senju blood mixed into the village and lost prominence, the Uchiha power base had multiplied. The balance of power in the Hidden Leaf village had simply shifted. Even back to the second Hokage there was talk of betrayal, so their appointment to the Konoha Military Police had been a means of both giving them power and controlling it. Fresh rumors of possible betrayal however, had the council on edge.

The second folder was on Uzumaki Naruto. Unbeknownst to most people of the village, he was set to inherit the Yondaime's fortune and estate upon his 18th birthday, or his ascension to the rank of Jounin, whichever came first. The unfortunate status as a jinchuuriki still circled the village in poor esteem. It was largely the civilian populace that detested him, but they weren't likely to act on things. Still, there were few people neutral on the subject of the demon container. Only high ranking ninja or those close to the Yondaime seemed to fully trust and accept the boy. Neutrality was rare, as with the Nara clan for example, who saw him as a tactical wild card without knowing more about him. Hatred was easiest among the lower ranked ninja, who saw him as a threat... the same threat that had wiped out a good chunk of the village on the tenth of October. The hatred from clan elders and other higher ranked ninja, Sarutobi feared, were those who were always against the Yondaime to begin with. Whatever their feelings, he had to help the boy as best he could. For now, saddling him with Jiraiya had put a stop to further slander for the time being.

Finally, was a report on Ta no Kuni, the Land of Rice Fields. It was an order from their local daimyo that their particular chunk of real-estate was now Oto no Kuni, the Land of Sound. It also formally announced the creation of their own Hidden Village of Sound, Otogakure. The land was directly north of them. In fact, it had been where Uchiha Madara had fought Senjuu Hashirama, the First Hokage. This was foreboding in a number of ways, as that was where Konoha had first been introduced to the Kyuubi, which created the valley while it seemed to act under Madara's influence. Since Madara's disappearance, no known Ninja had even existed in the land but those who were hired as mercenaries. Only the woman who had just left his office knew that was where Dan had met his end, so the ninja that were making up this new village had to be horribly strong.

Not on the papers before him, but still milling around in his head, were some scattered reports he'd recalled pieces of. Some were on Orochimaru's recent behavior and activities. Others had been on missing persons, disappearing medical supplies and teaching scrolls from the library. The content of the scrolls and stolen supplies could easily be applied to unethical experimentation to say the least, and coupled with the missing children... the old man shuddered. Orochimaru's behavior had factored into things for several reasons. Much of what was missing would have to be taken by a Jounin at least to be so well hidden and unnoticed. It definitely looked like the work of an insider, and he was the only high ranking shinobi he could think of who had been _out of bounds_ lately. "Troublesome" a Nara would say. Part of the Hokage rejected these thoughts as his mind determined of its own accord that the Snake Sannin _would never_ do such a thing.

After a long while, Sarutobi lifted a cup of tea and took a tentative sip. It was cold. He sighed. He took a long draw on the comfort of his pipe, at least some things didn't change.

----------------------------------

The Toad Sannin had promised Iruka pain, and he had reaped it in spades. The day after Tsunade left, Jiraiya's training for young Iruka increased tenfold as if the man were compensating for something. Not that he was hard to figure out, and blaming the boy for still being 'stuck' here, was not something Iruka liked hearing. In the meantime, his muscles were screaming for relief. He'd been left to hold buckets of water out to the side for hours while also seated in a horse stance. If it wasn't for the chakra exercises Orochimaru had managed to drill into him, he would have given out after five minutes. As it was, he wanted to die the moment he was allowed release from that first exercise.

The rest of the day was spent on something that very cruelly resembled chores. Wash and wipe windows, sweeping, mopping... Iruka honestly never expected an apartment to be so filthy after the man had proclaimed he'd 'cleaned' the place for Naruto's sake not long ago. A very thick layer of crust inside the oven disagreed adamantly with that claim, as well as the mildew stains in the shower.

Complaining never got the genin anywhere with Jiraiya, and though he suspected the 'sage' was bullshitting him, there was still Naruto to watch. He enjoyed the quiet moments left with the blond, which were rather quiet indeed. There was intelligence in the infant's eyes that always put a smile on Umino's face.

"Oi... kid, you need to watch out for Jiraiya, he's a real bastard." Iruka laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. Naruto laughed as well. He rubbed a finger across the scarred bridge of his nose and smiled at the boy. "You're getting big. I'll have to get you new clothes you know?" Giggles and a few foamy bubbles were his reply.

"Let's see... Naruto... Something with spirals on it maybe?" the child giggled and the brown haired shinobi grinned. Part of him believed the boy understood what he was saying. "Okay, so you tell me what you want, cos' if you leave it up to Jiraiya you'll be five years old and still trying to fit into infant's clothes. Okay?" This time, the laughter was louder and the so-named dolphin had to laugh too. If it was coincidence that he laughed or nodded or gurgled on cue, it was a very good one. "Okay okay. So I'm going to name colors and you tell me what one you want... Red... Yellow... Yellow's like your hair..." he mussed up the child's hair as he said that, but somehow he seemed to know. When he mentioned the color orange, the baby got completely exited and latched onto his arm with a somehow alarming speed and strength. "O... Okay! Orange it is... sheesh!"

----------------------------

Just two weeks of abuse from Jiraiya had had an effect on Iruka, though he didn't seem to notice. Like many young shinobi, he felt the skills were what you needed for success, so the lack of any new moves to his repertoire frustrated him. He failed to notice how his body had lost a slight chubbiness that could be considered 'baby fat' because the Toad nin had all of Iruka's muscles straining in one way or another during the laughable training sessions. The man threw random objects at Iruka which had pushed and heightened his reflexes and sense of danger, especially when Naruto was the object in question. That had lead to a number of fights where Iruka had fought the toad-bastard with all his might and, unknowingly, started backing him toward a wall. Jiraiya would laugh, and though his smile only exuded smugness to the teen, it was pride that the genin actually made him have to _think_ about defending against him. The slimmed down and more wary genin was now far better equipped for the chuunin exams than he ever expected, having been run through a real set of practicals in an impractical way.

In the meantime, Mizuki had tried to advance his skillset under the training of his parents. He was the thinker of the group, so he struggled to find a balance between mind and body. Emotion was always the disruption... when he thought of Anko so obviously being favored. Deep down, he never expected Iruka to get anywhere without him, and that's how he'd like to keep it. If he just had the right connections, the right people supporting _him,_ if he had enough skills, if he could apply it right... They were the students of one of the three Legendary Ninja of the village! How could he not succeed?

Anko had no worries, despite what he said Orochimaru was still training his favorite. She was already continuing her physical training alone well enough, but it was the chakra aspect he always emphasized. It would be essential to his research.

--------------------------------

"Anko-chan?" The snake called to her calmly.

They'd been in the middle of the woods, far from the usual training grounds, and her heart was threatening to take flight if he called her that one more time. "Y-yes sensei!" Anko quickly stood at attention, and despite the bitter cold, her cheeks were flushed red.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked and spread out a large scroll before her. On it were many names, all of them signed in red. There were almost a dozen on the script after Orochimaru's name, which _should_ have given her pause.

"A summoning contract." The bush-tailed teen replied with a slight air of inquiry. She eyed the paper, wondering how the contracts came to be. She could tell from Jiraiya's antics they obviously had lives and families elsewhere, so why would they allow themselves to be called? And could the reverse ever happen?

"Very good. This," he emphasized while he motioned for her to kneel next to her, "is the snake summoning contract. Snakes are the embodiment of what a ninja should be. They are quick, silent and deadly. They are not beings of mercy, so expect none from them. They are the most dangerous summon available in Konoha... do you know why?"

Anko swallowed nervously before answering, a bead of sweat dripped off her brow. "Because... if the snake does not feel the ninja calling him is worthy, they will turn on the ninja and destroy him or her."

"Yes." Orochimaru nodded and grabbed her wrist. _'She is nervous...'_ He smiled a sinister smile, but Anko didn't pull away, determined to prove herself to her sensei. "Are you good enough? Here..." He cut her finger with a kunai and set it to the paper.

Anko moved as one who's torn in two pieces. The good girl in her would follow her master to the ends of the earth, hoping for even a bit of praise from him... thirsting for acknowledgment. The other part was being choked to death. It was a spike of danger sense that told her this was wrong, that there was something wrong with this. Her finger barely left the parchment when Orochimaru drew her to her feet and made her repeat the motions for the summon over and over, putting chakra into it, and only lacking the essential blood to activate it; the wound had already sealed.

Once Anko had the motion down flawlessly, the pale ninja thrust a kunai at her in mid-form, breaking the skin on her finger. She howled in pain, but he shunshined behind her, forcing her to finish the motion and sending a surge of his own chakra through her. "Now we see who is worthy." and then he was gone.

**"WHO DISTURBS MY SLEEP!?"** a very large red snake hissed, his body large enough to encompass the clearing before looking down on the genin and laughing. "**You must be strong or he wouldn't have made you sign, but unless you can best me, your contract ends here. Come little girl... I'm hungry!"**

-----------------------

Becoming chuunin was expected of Orochimaru's team. It was not surprising that they'd pass, though it was of little consequence to him. Mizuki's performance was promising but ultimately disappointing. What hadn't been expected was _how_ each had performed in battle for the final part of the test. Mitarashi Anko displayed complete savagery in her fight and if anyone had been perceptive enough, they would have noted a slightly vacant look in her eyes. She was a driven individual, a sharpened kunai, a tool... a perfect shinobi. This was exactly what the sannin wanted.

Mizuki had been forced to spar against Iruka, which couldn't have been a better match up. The silver genin wanted to show his friend up, prove he was the best. Iruka began the battle with less resolve to win, until the ninja stars and kunai had begun flying. His increased speed and reflexes were now becoming apparent, as was the difference in physical strength between him and Mizuki.

In the end, Hoshino Mizuki was defeated. Despite using a number of illusions and using explosive tags and projectiles to slow his opponent, Iruka had not stood down. He hadn't acted in the way the silver-haired opponent wanted to. He pushed forward like a boar with its tusks brandished to throw away all opposition. Iruka was simply willing to risk more, as one of the blades reopened the wound across his nose. The scar tissue had just started mending, now it would have another dimension to it.

There was so much at stake, and yet nobody realized it. The still-genin Mizuki was now furious at the success of his friend. Another insult to him was that Iruka hadn't taken advantage of all his options. Anko had performed better, but their sensei had offered his home to both his chuunin, with Iruka turning him down. '_How... how could he?'_ It just made things easier for the snake, who enjoyed the way the team was now pitted against itself. Only Anko was above their petty fight, but then again... under his influence, she wasn't exactly herself either... something they wouldn't notice until it was too late.

---------------------------

This would be the only Christmas for years to come that would make Naruto happy, but one he ultimately wouldn't remember for being so young. Jiraiya had thrown a party for Iruka and his class for passing the Chuunin exams, so the boy was involved with things too. If there was one thing the Toad sannin knew, it was partying. Even without women and wine, you could have song!

Offbeat and out of tune carols echoed loudly from the apartment, with neighbors yelling at the crew to "KEEP IT DOWN ALREADY!" Fugaku didn't feel like ruining the festivities, so the Konoha police stayed out of it... though he did drop in for some eggnog.

"Throwing a party for some children? This isn't like you Jiraiya." The stern Uchiha leader said calmly, receiving his cup of the drink. It was surprisingly nonalcoholic.

"Ehh, well the gaki's been helping me out. Besides! I've been his acting sensei, so I thought he deserved something!" The wild-haired man smiled broadly. "Enjoy enjoy!" It was nice to have something to celebrate for a change. His eyes washed over the ones present, some were orphans from Konoha O, but more of them were fellow genin and freshly minted chuunin. They were all enjoying the party poppers which exploded glitter and streamers all over the apartment. Jiraiya grinned, _'This'll be great training tomorrow...'_

Mizuki's absence would have bothered Iruka, but he had something else on his mind, heading into the nursery room for little Uzumaki. "Hiya!" he smiled broadly at the child who sat up and smiled directly at him. A box was set inside the crib that was bigger than he was. "Go ahead, tug at the paper and ribbon."

It only took a moment for the kid to get the idea, and with his little hands, he grabbed and ripped at the paper while his _big brother_ laughed at the scene. There was some sort of grunt of unfairness as there was no way he'd ever open the box that had been beneath the bright red paper.

"That's good enough Naruto." Iruka winced a little as he went to rub the side of his nose, and could still feel the wound Mizuki had given him. His nose once again had a bandage across it and he both sighed and laughed over it. What were the chances? He opened the box for Naruto and set the contents in a pile. "Some of it's used, but I don't have a lot of money you know? Sensei said he'd buy me an apartment since I passed the test. Anko did a lot better than me so she actually gets to live with him. His apartment's across town though."

There was a blue blanket for the boy himself and it matched his bright eyes. There was also some baby clothes as well, all of it bright orange and trimmed white. Some of it was quilted to keep him warm, but there were larger shirts and jumpers anticipating his growth. Still, the boy dug in a pile and pulled back something not meant for a baby at all, a set of aviator type goggles set into a leather band.

"Huh? How'd that get there?" Iruka stared at the object the babe had, wondering if it'd gotten into the clothing at the checkout or something by accident. He tried taking it away from Naruto, but he began crying. '_Damnit... can't take it back even if I want to' _"Ahh! Okay okay! It's yours Naru... But it's way too big for you now!"

The babe didn't seem to care and giggled, falling back into bed, the goggles ridiculously slung over his shoulder. The young Chunin gathered up his things and put them away, finally laying the blue blanket on him before returning to the others. He might have been happier for Naruto than himself at that moment, but such things never seem to last...


End file.
